It sounds so basic as to be silly: focus on the customer. But too many businesses – entire industries, even. (Airlines, cell phone carriers, I’m talking to you!) – seem to view their customers as an afterthought. [level-members]
Engage your customers on an on-going basis and you’ll be way ahead of whatever trends are being reported in the industry press. Heck, you’ll even be ahead of us! (So we wouldn’t mind hearing from you …)
Don’t forget that not everything needs to results in an immediate sale for it to be beneficial to your business. Social media, email marketing, and other marketing are all marketing plays, not direct sales plays. (If you’re using email or social media primarily as sales tools you’re doing it wrong.)
Focus on helping your customers – without selling all the time – and you’ll find them much more receptive to all of your messages.
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