Bob Livingston

Biography

Bob Livingston is a sales professional. He began his career as a sales representative for the Lipton Company and advanced through all of their sales management positions, ultimately leading the 700 person sales organization of this multi-billion dollar Unilever subsidiary.

During his tenure as the Chief Customer Officer, he led some of the industry's earliest initiatives in Category Management and Fact Based Selling. As an up front advocate of the link between sales and technology, he was one of the first to launch an automated information and technology-based strategy.

He is presently an independent consultant working with Fortune 500 companies, assisting their selling teams with customer relationship strategy and execution. Early in his consulting career, he simultaneously held the full time position of Senior Vice-President Customer Development at ACNielsen, leading their customer organization at the beginning stages of their very successful turnaround.

Bob believes that in order to succeed and thrive, a business must achieve the goal of customer loyalty and retention. This goal is best achieved only through complete understanding of a customer's needs. Bob's 40+ years of experience in the consumer products industry makes that understanding second nature. His record of achievement demonstrates his ability to quickly and effectively address the needs of clients facing a wide variety of challenges.

Clients also call on Bob to share his industry expertise by hosting and facilitating advisory board meetings, share groups, video-conferences, and seminars. His understanding of the fundamentals of the Consumer Products industry is more important than ever in an age of constant change, innovation and market uncertainty. Audiences on both sides of the customer relationship identify with his core belief: "It is only by focusing our attention on the needs of customer that we will achieve our greatest success."

Titles

The Global Retailer
The global marketplace has become a reality. The complexities of this issue include legal considerations, packaging and labeling concerns, language differences and currency standards. The customer relationship strategy, in this environment, can hold the key to your success. The first-class organization will realize that the customer still comes first, regardless of language, culture, or nationality.

Add Value through a Great Customer Relationship
The current competitive environment no longer permits idle talk about "adding value." Today, customers demand that you create a value proposition. Interested in more than what a product can or cannot deliver, they seek value-added services when making buying decisions. That component, for many, is a great relationship.

Competitive Advantage through Service
Everyone seeks an edge over the competition. Some companies offer price advantages, or a unique product feature or benefit. Others may look to achieve success through promotional deals and "gimmicks". Why not establish service as the cornerstone of your strategy for marketplace differentiation. It works!

The Complete Customer Experience
Successful organizations recognize the importance of consistency of vision and purpose in executing their business plan. Every member of the organization must ensure that from start to finish the customer experience will exceed expectations. These memorable interactions will yield strong customer word-of-mouth and increased loyalty, both of which directly impact the bottom line of your business.

One for All, All for One - The Customer
There is no one person who owns the Customer Relationship. It belongs to everyone. Successful service organizations demonstrate this time and again. It begins at the top of a company and filters down into every function and discipline. There are no silos. There is no misdirected focus. Every person within the organization is completely centered on the customer.