Throughout my career in sales and leadership, I’ve learned that while meeting targets and driving revenue are critical, nothing is more important than building a customer-centric culture. Whether leading large sales teams at Cornerstone Building Brands or previous companies like PlyGem Corporation, I’ve always found that putting the customer first is the key to long-term success. In today’s market, where competition is fierce and customer expectations are constantly evolving, focusing on customer needs is not just a nice-to-have; it’s essential.

Creating a customer-centric culture requires more than just saying you care about your customers. It involves building a mindset within the entire organization where every action, decision, and process is centered around delivering value to the customer. This is something I’ve worked to implement at every stage of my career, and I believe it’s a game changer when it comes to creating lasting success.

Understanding the Customer’s Journey

The first step in building a customer-centric culture is understanding the entire customer journey. From the first interaction with your brand to post-purchase support, every touchpoint should be designed to meet the needs and expectations of the customer. When I think about the success we’ve had at Cornerstone Building Brands, much of it comes down to our deep understanding of who our customers are and what they need from us.

This means more than just delivering a quality product. It’s about creating an experience where the customer feels valued, heard, and supported at every stage of the buying process. For instance, we spend a lot of time mapping out the customer journey, identifying pain points, and finding ways to make the process smoother. This could mean improving communication during the sales process, offering better training for customer service teams, or providing more transparency about product timelines. By taking a proactive approach to understanding what the customer is going through, we’re able to build stronger, more lasting relationships.

Empowering Teams to Put the Customer First

Building a customer-centric culture requires empowering every team member to make decisions with the customer in mind. This is something I’ve always encouraged within my teams. Whether it’s a salesperson on the front lines or someone in product development, everyone has a role to play in delivering exceptional customer experiences.

At times, it can be easy for teams to get bogged down in hitting their individual targets or meeting internal goals. But what I’ve found is that when you shift the focus to the customer, everything else tends to fall into place. When employees understand how their work impacts the customer’s experience, they’re more motivated to go the extra mile. This doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes consistent communication and leadership to keep the customer at the forefront of every discussion.

One of the ways I’ve done this in my leadership roles is by creating open lines of communication between teams. Sales, marketing, customer service, and product teams should all be working together, with the common goal of meeting customer needs. For example, when we’re launching a new product, it’s not just about getting it to market quickly. It’s about making sure that the messaging aligns with what our customers actually want, and that the product delivers on its promises. That kind of collaboration can only happen in a culture where everyone understands the importance of putting the customer first.

Listening and Adapting to Customer Feedback

If there’s one lesson I’ve learned throughout my career, it’s that listening to customers is crucial. Too often, companies fall into the trap of thinking they know what’s best for their customers without actually asking them. In my experience, the best way to build loyalty and trust is by actively seeking out feedback and then acting on it.

At Cornerstone Building Brands, we regularly engage with our customers to understand their pain points and find out what we can do better. This could be through formal surveys, one-on-one conversations, or simply paying attention to the feedback our sales and service teams are getting. But gathering feedback is only half the battle. The real challenge is using that feedback to make meaningful changes.

I’ve always pushed my teams to not just listen to customer feedback, but to take it seriously and make the necessary adjustments. Whether it’s tweaking a product feature, improving response times, or changing how we communicate with our customers, adapting to their needs is what sets us apart from the competition. And when customers see that you’re truly listening, it builds trust and loyalty that can last for years.

Measuring Success Through Customer Satisfaction

When it comes to building a customer-centric culture, success isn’t just measured by sales numbers or revenue growth. While those metrics are important, they don’t tell the whole story. For me, one of the key indicators of success is customer satisfaction. Are our customers happy with the products and services we provide? Are they coming back for repeat business? Are they recommending us to others?

At the end of the day, it’s the relationships we build with our customers that matter most. That’s why we make customer satisfaction a top priority at Cornerstone Building Brands. We track things like Net Promoter Scores (NPS) and customer retention rates because those numbers give us a clearer picture of how well we’re serving our customers. But more than that, we’re constantly looking for ways to improve. No company is perfect, and there’s always room for growth. By focusing on customer satisfaction, we ensure that we’re continuously evolving to meet the changing needs of our customers.

The Bottom Line: Putting the Customer at the Center

Creating a customer-centric culture is not a one-time initiative; it’s an ongoing process that requires dedication and a willingness to adapt. In my years of leading sales and marketing teams, I’ve seen firsthand how putting the customer at the center of everything we do leads to better outcomes, both for the business and for the people we serve.

At the end of the day, a company’s success is directly tied to the success of its customers. When you create a culture that prioritizes the customer, you’re not just building better products or hitting sales targets—you’re building relationships that stand the test of time. That’s something I’m proud to say we’ve done at Cornerstone Building Brands, and it’s a mindset I’ll continue to champion in the years to come.