Hello, this is Matsubara, CRM Evangelist.

While the "One with One Marketing" concept advocated by CRM 4.0 is easy to understand in theory, we often hear that it's surprisingly difficult to figure out how to actually put it into practice.

This time, we will explain this theory in a "practical application" section, showing how to translate it into concrete daily actions.

table of contents

1. A review of One with One
2. Why is "Practice" Difficult?
3. Differences between One-to-One and One-with-One behaviors
4. Practice ①: Start with questions before making suggestions.
5. Practice ②: Create a loop that reflects customer feedback
6. Practice ③: Transforming emotional temperature and NPS into a culture of "listening"
7. Practice ④: Create a space for co-creation, rather than one-sided communication.
8. Practice 5: Deciding together on the "timing of the sale"
9. Practice⑥: Create relationships where failures and frustrations can be shared without hesitation.
10. Practice 7: Incorporate "time for co-creation" into business processes.
11. The role of driving change expected of management and managers
12. Practical examples by industry
13. How to implement this with EMOROCO CRM Lite
14. Common misconception: Is it really One with One?
15. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
16. Summary

1. A review of One with One

In the CRM 2.0/RM-based approach, the goal has always been "one-to-one marketing" tailored to each individual customer.
This is a one-way form of personalization where companies use customer data to deliver optimal suggestions and messages.

The "One with One Marketing" approach that CRM 4.0 aims for is a concept that lies ahead.
Instead of companies delivering something to customers, they should empathize with customers, resonate with them, and build relationships together.
—It's a shift from one-way personalization to a two-way, co-creative relationship.

2. Why is "Practice" Difficult?

When people hear this theory, many are convinced, thinking, "I see, that's an important way of thinking."
However, it's not easy to consciously think about whether you're doing a "one-to-one" or "one-with-one" interaction while actually conducting sales activities and dealing with customers.

The reason is that, amidst the busyness of daily work, it's easy to prioritize thinking about "what we can deliver" first.
Create a proposal, send an email, deliver documents.
—These actions themselves aren't wrong, but often the underlying attitude remains one-to-one.

3. Differences between One-to-One and One-with-One behaviors

Let's compare the differences in specific actions.

・One to OneAnalyze customer data and deliver the optimal proposal at the optimal time.
・One with OneWe ask customers what they are feeling and what they want right now, and together we think about the next step.

・One to One: Distributing campaigns and promotions prepared by the company to the target audience.
・One with OneBased on customer feedback, we discuss together the direction of future products and services.

・One to One: Conduct a satisfaction survey and use the results for internal improvement activities.
・One with OneThe results of the satisfaction survey are shared with the customers themselves, and a dialogue is initiated to say, "Let's work together to make things better."

The core of this difference lies in whether the flow of information is one-way or two-way.

4. Practice ①: Start with questions before making suggestions

The first step in practicing One with One is to start with a question before making a proposal.
Instead of "delivering the solutions we have," we start by asking "what problems are you currently facing, and what is important to you?"

While this is often discussed as a fundamental aspect of sales, in the context of CRM 4.0, it's positioned not merely as a sales technique, but as a way of building relationships themselves.
The information obtained from the questions will not simply be used as "material for proposals," but will be added to the relationship's assets as a subjective record, such as emotional temperature.

5. Practice ②: Create a loop that reflects customer feedback

It's crucial to create a loop where customer feedback isn't simply "listened to," but is reflected in actual product and service improvements, and the results are communicated to the customer.

- Record customer feedback
- If you make any changes based on that feedback, communicate those changes to the customer.
- Share the fact that "your opinion was reflected in this way."

This loop allows customers to feel that their voice is not just being consumed as mere opinion, but is actually influencing the relationship.
This is the essence of a collaborative relationship.

6. Practice ③: Transforming emotional temperature and NPS into a culture of "listening"

If metrics like emotional temperature and NPS are simply used as "data for evaluating customers," you'll never escape the one-to-one approach.
Positioning these metrics as a "mechanism for listening to customer feedback" will lead to the practical implementation of One with One.

- When dealing with customers who have a low emotional temperature, instead of simply assuming that their evaluation has dropped, change your approach to "let's ask them directly what's going on."
- Use NPS responses not only as internal evaluation data, but also as a starting point for dialogue with customers, asking, "Please tell us why you felt that way."

A key perspective in practicing One with One is to use indicators not as tools for judgment, but as an entry point for dialogue.

7. Practice ④: Create a space for co-creation, rather than one-sided communication.

Many companies use one-way methods of communication, such as email newsletters and direct mail.
To implement the "One with One" approach, it's effective to create opportunities for collaborative thinking with customers, in addition to one-way communication.

- Hold study sessions and discussion groups for customers to provide a forum for exchanging opinions.
- Create opportunities to directly solicit feedback from customers regarding suggestions for improving products and services.
- Provide a space where customers can interact with each other, fostering relationships not only between companies but also among customers themselves.

These venues do not necessarily have to be large-scale events.
Even small-scale opportunities for exchanging ideas can convey a collaborative attitude.

8. Practice 5: Deciding together on the "timing of the sale"

In a one-to-one approach, the company decides that "now is the best time to sell to this customer" and initiates the approach.
In the "One with One" approach, it's crucial to work together with the customer to determine the right timing.

The approach of saying, "Let me think with you whether it's best to propose this now or if it would be better to wait a little while," may seem like a roundabout way, but it can actually be quite effective in building long-term trust.

9. Practice⑥: Create relationships where failures and frustrations are shared without being hidden.

One indicator of whether a one-on-one relationship is truly working is whether customers are willing to share their dissatisfaction and failures without hesitation.

Many customers, even if they are dissatisfied with a company, quietly leave without directly expressing their dissatisfaction.
To prevent this quiet estrangement, it's necessary to build a sense of security over time, making people feel that "even if they express their dissatisfaction, the relationship won't deteriorate."

- Show a sincere attitude towards even minor complaints.
- Express gratitude for them sharing their dissatisfaction.
If improvements are made, the process will be shared.

These accumulated efforts create a relationship with customers where they feel they can speak frankly with the company.

10. Practice 7: Incorporate "time for co-creation" into business processes.

One common reason why the "One with One" approach doesn't work well is that "time for co-creation" isn't allocated within the daily work schedule.
When you're swamped with immediate business negotiations and interactions, the time to carefully ask follow-up questions and reflect on feedback tends to get pushed to the back burner.

To solve this problem, it is effective to intentionally incorporate time for co-creation into the business process.

- At the end of each business meeting, always set aside time to ask, "Is there anything else we discussed today that you're curious about?"
- Set aside time in weekly meetings to review customer feedback as a fixed agenda item.
- Incorporate a quarterly "review meeting" with key clients into the work schedule.

The key to sustaining this practice is to shift from the mindset of "we'll co-create if we have time" to the mindset of "we'll set aside time for co-creation in advance."

11. The role of driving change expected of management and managers

The "One with One" approach cannot be sustained if it relies solely on the efforts of the on-site staff.
Senior management and managers need to play a role in instilling this way of thinking as part of the organization's culture.

- The manager themselves demonstrates to the team an emphasis on questioning during interactions with customers.
- Share examples within the company of how customer feedback has actually been used to improve products and services.
- In addition to "proposals that lead to sales," "the quality of dialogue with customers" will also be included as a criterion for evaluation.

When management demonstrates this attitude, employees on the ground also realize that "this is a value that the company cherishes," making it easier for them to continue putting it into practice.

12. Practical examples by industry

The way in which "One with One" is implemented varies depending on the industry.

・Professional service firmsInstead of unilaterally advising clients on their management challenges, we create opportunities to think together with the business owners about the direction they should take.
・Manufacturing industry: In post-delivery follow-up, we don't just provide maintenance information, but also exchange opinions on how the product is being used in the customer's field.
・beauty salonInstead of unilaterally proposing treatments, we carefully listen to the customer's concerns and wishes and decide on a menu together.
・Real estate and facility managementInstead of simply addressing tenant requests as mere responses, create a loop that incorporates them into overall improvements to the property.

Even though the industries may differ, the underlying structure—a shift from "delivering information" to "thinking together"—is common to all of them.

13. How to implement this with EMOROCO CRM Lite

EMOROCO CRM Lite supports the practice of "One with One" with the following features:

・Record of activity historyQuestions and conversations can be recorded as unstructured data, allowing for the accumulation of a history of relationships.
・Emotional Temperature, Nurturing Score, NPSThese can be used as an "entry point for dialogue" and as a starting point for asking questions to customers.
・Customer PortalBy providing a channel where customers can express their opinions and requests, two-way communication can be achieved.
・　This allows you to track how feedback is being addressed and manage "what happened after the feedback was received."

Utilizing these features not merely as "management tools," but as "a foundation for continuing dialogue," is key to putting One with One into practice.

14. Common misconception: Is it really One with One?

Finally, I'll share some cases where people think they're practicing "One with One," but in reality, it remains "One to One."

・We conduct customer surveys, but we only use the results internally.This is still a one-way data collection process.
・They advertise that they "value customer feedback," but there are no concrete examples of how it has been implemented.: It's a collaborative effort based solely on words.
・I'm recording emotional temperature, but I'm only using it for assessment purposes.: PreviouslyBuilding a Sales Organization in the CRM 4.0 EraAs explained earlier, this causes it to lose its function as an entry point for dialogue.

To determine whether you are practicing "One with One," we recommend regularly reviewing whether information is flowing back and forth between you and your customers.

15. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. Are there any special tools required to implement One with One?
You don't need any special tools; you can start with simple actions like asking questions and incorporating feedback.
CRM serves as a foundation for recording and continuing these actions.

Q. Should we expect the same level of co-creation from all customers?
there is no need.
It is practical to adjust the degree of co-creation according to the depth of the relationship.

Q. Doesn't implementing the One with One approach take too much time?
It may seem like a roundabout way at first glance, but from the perspective of building long-term relationships, it is actually a more efficient investment.

Q. Can the "One with One" approach be implemented in B2C businesses as well?
Yes.
Even with a large number of customers, co-creation methods such as careful responses to surveys and reviews, and community management can be implemented in B2C businesses as well.

Q. How can we measure the level of implementation of the "One with One" approach?
We recommend continuously monitoring the quantity and quality of customer feedback, trends in NPS, and the frequency of customer complaints and requests.

16. Summary

The One with One marketing theory can only be put into practice when it is translated into concrete actions such as "asking questions before making proposals," "creating a loop for incorporating feedback," and "using metrics as an entry point for dialogue."
Shifting from a one-to-one mindset to a one-with-one mindset requires a series of small, consistent actions each day.
EMOROCO CRM Lite supports this practice by providing a foundation for recording and continuing these conversations.

EMOROCO CRM Lite costs ¥1,500 per user per month (minimum 3 users) and has no initial setup fee, with a 30-day free trial.https://www.emoroco.com/You can start from there.
IT implementation subsidy eligible tool number: DL07-0022934.

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Additionally, we publish useful articles about CRM 4.0 on note ( https://note.com/arcuss_crm ), so please check them out as well.

Related article

・Building a Sales Organization in the CRM 4.0 Era
・The History and Definition of CRM — From CRM 1.0 to CRM 4.0
・The Science of Relationship Assetization
・Integrated management of NPS (Net Promoter Score) and emotional temperature
・Customer portals are transforming information sharing and self-service.