Answers In Front Of Your Nose

Posted by Chris Kauza on May 4, 2009 under Marketing Monday | Be the First to Comment

One small business owner bought a nationally-known variety store franchise.  Soon after  opening, he found that in his particular area of the country people expected him to merchandise his products in a certain manner – battery-operated equipment should be sold alongside the appropriate batteries; lighting fixtures should have the right size light bulbs stocked nearby, etc.  After speaking with his customers, he quickly adjusted to the needs of his market and stocked the expected items the way they needed to be for his market, and went on to grow his business.

Another business owner who runs a pet store solicits suggestions from current customers, very often changing not just stock but different food recipes, or various product and service combinations (i.e. – dog training with leashes and whistles).

Further, establishing a social media presence for your company will frequently give you rapid feedback about what is and is not working for your business.  However, you need to be committed to engaging with the community you build, as ignoring the community will be interpreted as they are “not important” – which is never true for your customers.

Action Step:

Pick one Social Media tool (Twitter might be an easy one for you to start with) and set up a profile for either you or your business (for extra credit – set up a separate one for each).  Then, pick 10 customers (start with two customers per day), and ask just this one question:

“What can I do for you, that other companies like mine don’t or won’t do for you?”

Listen to their answers.  Understand what they are telling you.

Review your answers at the end of five days and commit to incorporating one new idea that you heard, by the end of next week.