By Will Brogan, Commercial Truck Success, Powered by OneNexus

“The only source of knowledge is experience.” – Albert Einstein

In today’s competitive market landscape, businesses in every industry are increasingly recognizing the pivotal role that end-users play not just in purchasing decisions, but in shaping the entire product lifecycle. Your effort to establishing meaningful relationships with these end-users – those who drive and utilize your vehicle on the job site – goes beyond customer service and putting out fires; it involves actively seeking and utilizing their feedback to enhance overall strategies and to drive product innovation with your partners, like upfitters and maybe even your manufacturer!

The relationship between a company and its end-users is no longer one-directional. Instead, it has evolved into a dynamic exchange where customer experiences and opinions hold significant sway over business outcomes. If you put value and time into constructing a genuine connection with end-users, you can gain invaluable insights into their preferences, pain points, and expectations. This deeper understanding forms the core for tailored solutions that resonate with the target audience – something that several upfitters take to heart to become the preferred vendors of small businesses and massive fleets alike.

Through various interactions with their employees, businesses can pinpoint areas for improvement and innovation. When it comes to their vehicles, you have a chance to not only be involved, but be proactive. In our Ultimate Boot Camps, one of the words that comes up time and again is “Resource” – which is something we recommend you be for your customers and prospects as often as opportune. The more of a listening ear you can provide for your business’ end users, the more of a valued resource you become. That goes a long way to establishing a relationship on a solid foundation.

Hey, by the way, the next time you go to a gas station and see a work truck driver, ask them a very simple question: “What do you like most about your vehicle?” Congratulations, you just started a conversation with a person who can give you tons of insights, and is not trained to be a gatekeeper!

Involving end-users in the iterative process of product enhancement fosters a sense of ownership and loyalty. Sure, this is not going to happen on a large scale with your manufacturer. However, we’ve seen examples of drivers absolutely loving certain components of a vehicle, and not wanting to change to a different product.

We’ve experienced drivers sharing the real “expiration” of a vehicle’s use, which helps to refine their fleet’s cycling process. Therefore, it’s no surprise that those who feel heard and valued are more likely to advocate for the brand, potentially amplifying organic growth through positive word-of-mouth with the decision makers you interact with on a regular basis.

This component of our industry – when a  dealership, upfitter, business, and end-user come together to create a unique solution – is absolutely my favorite component of what we as an industry do. The creativity, innovation, and general “answering of the call” nature of these solutions is so much fun to observe.

I look forward to hearing about your next impactful interaction and partnership with the real drivers of your business!