The Essential Steps to Business Success—Step Five

  The Essential Steps to Business Success—Step Five  

As we continue the discussion of the keys to business success, no business can survive without excellent customers. At the same time, no business can be all things to all customers. Success demands that you know who your ideal customers are. Here are some critical questions to ask yourself:

 

• Who is your current customer and who is your most ideal customer?
• Are they one in the same?
• Are you serving that market?
• Are you providing more value then your competition?

Success always comes down to the customer, which is why focusing on the customer is the next step in business success.

Step Five—Focus on the Customer

You are in business for one purpose only: To supply something that your customers perceive has significant value. Most likely there are other businesses in your same space competing for the same customers, so you out-perform and out-sell your competition by doing the following:

• Knowing what your customers/clients want.
• Providing massive value to your customers.
• Remembering that you get paid for results and meeting customer needs—not for effort or good intentions.
• Taking responsibility for the entire value chain.

How do you know if you have met the needs of your customer or not? You have to ask. You must not only discover if you have met their needs, but if you have done so in a timely, efficient, and hassle-free manner.

You can’t be all things to all customers, but all customers are looking for suppliers who make it easy to do business with them. All customers are also looking for you to be honest and to do the right thing—always. Make it fun to work with you and that’s the cherry on top.

If it sounds like a tall order, it is. But focusing on the customer like this is how you will stand out from the competition. How do you accomplish all of this? By first understanding who your ideal customer is and what they want. Your assumptions aren’t enough here; you have to do the research to find out.

Initial research isn’t enough either. Ongoing communication with existing customers is what keeps profit growing. You have to uncover whether you are indeed meeting customer needs by supplying what they want, when they want it, and in the condition they expect to receive it. The only way to know this information is to communicate with your customers regularly and to ask the right questions.

If you want your business to grow, then quit avoiding your customers. Rather than obsessing over what products and services you have to offer, obsess over your customers.

We can help you to grow your business by leaps and bounds without capital expense. Give us a call.