CHAPTER 9

Gathering Customer Intelligence

Examining the Botany of Individual Leaves

We’ve already established that the majority of companies spend the majority of their time on new customer acquisition expeditions. And while new customers are critical to an organization’s growth (I hope you’re not getting the impression I would ever suggest otherwise!), you should know by now that new customers are, without a doubt, the most difficult and expensive (not to mention exhausting and inefficient) way to grow a business. In fact, I would go a step further: I believe strongly that many companies are literally destroying themselves from the inside out by having such a backward and myopic view of business growth.

I’m not suggesting that you entirely disregard ...

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