The motorcycle company Harley-Davidson knows its customers. As the firm’s web site says, it is one thing for people to buy your products; it is another for them to tattoo your company’s name on their arm. But that is exactly what Harley-Davidson’s most devoted customers do.

The company interacts with customers at numerous touchpoints: by phone, in the showroom, on the road, at bikers’ conventions and in shops that sell biker clothes featuring the Harley-Davidson logo.

However, arguably the best and most comprehensive portal into the Harley-Davidson world is the organisation’s web site. The insights the site offers into how Harley-Davidson sees and strives to interact with its customers have many implications for other industry sectors.

Few organisations can boast a web site that illustrates such a seamless relationship with customers. So many firms, even successful ones, make it painfully obvious that they see their customers as completely distinct from the business.

Loyalty cards and frequent flyer clubs try to offer the impression of belonging, sometimes fairly successfully ­ though very often, you can see the blatant marketing motive too close to the surface.

Many organisations have specialised customer clubs and even children’s book publishers have created clubs, so that members can receive special information about their literary heroes.

While plenty of companies generate customer loyalty, not many achieve the level of customer enthusiasm Harley Davidson wins.

Maybe a vital point here relates to shared brand values it is not just the product itself that attracts people to Harley-Davidson, it is the fact that they see the product as a reflection of themselves.

But why doesn’t every brand inspire the kind of loyalty Harley-Davidson wins from so many of its customers?

The real reason is that many firms too easily lose sight of who their clients are and what they really want.

How often do you really take the trouble to see your company, services and products through the eyes of customers? And how do you become more customer-centric?

Firms need to place the customer at the heart of the business and ensure everything is done with clients in mind. Best practice here can be distilled into three key principles.

First, dedicate everything you undertake to meeting your customer’s needs. Ensure your staff share a passion for delighting customers and ensure all the services you provide, through whatever channel, have the client in mind.

Second, know and understand your market and learn to love it. If you do not love your market, or are not prepared to learn to love it, why are you doing your job at all?

Third, be agile. Yesterday’s sales are history; ask yourself what your customers are looking for now. IT managers need to ensure their staff and supply base are ready and willing to adapt.

Put such lessons into practice and you will help kickstart a new momentum in the business.

Stephen Nolan is a consultant at the business and information technology
consultancy Charteris