Customer Focus - Just 5 SimpleThings You Need to Think About

You can boil down the difference between successful businesses and the rest in how they work with their customers, in just five areas.

So, what does this mean?

  • What They Want
    Selling what your customers really want is just critical. Being on good enough terms with your customers to research, (hey maybe just by chatting with them - radical idea, huh?), helps you find out how you can best serve their needs.
  • Price is Right
    By balancing the kind of pricing you want to offer with exceptional service levels, there is a fascinating calculation to be made. Prices rock-bottom with inadequate attention to item 5 are not likely to bring profitable consumers rushing to your door. Providers have an ongoing dance between price and service - be aware of it. It is not possible to sustain your business with lowest prices and poor service.
  • When They Want It
    In the internet world, availability of your goods and services is measured critically far more than ever before. You may not need to be 24/7, but you certainly need to be aware of it. More traditional customers are also becoming more demanding. So businesses need to be especially sensitive to the hours they trade, whether they sell goods or services, by stores and/or phone.
  • Easy To Buy
    With the advent of the internet, making it easy to purchase is vital. Why not make purchases from the comfort of your home study or workplace office? So having your people who are available, exactly when your customer wants them, to make payment for goods and services relly easy is a serious point worth considering. Even in shops, the sensitivity of simply having staff focused on delivering the very best of attention is critical. Every day there may be threats to different shopping channels, so the adage that you 'only have one chance to make a first impression' is becoming ever more important.
  • Trusted Follow Up
    By ensuring that you have all your ducks in a row so far, sustainably building whatever business you are in, is vitally dependent on how you handle ongoing customer service. Indeed if you are only focusing on a one-time purchase, then, frankly, you are not going to have much of a future. Repeat business is very inexpensive for you, so an investment of post-purchase excellence is very worthwhile.
    By focusing on these five elements, teasing out the consequences with your management teams, you will have a great chance of making business progress. If you choose not to take the time to analyse what you truly need to do, there will be a jeopardy for you in the not to distant future.

    Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com. (Note to editors. This article may be edited for use in your publication or newsletter as long as a live link to the website is included)

    ...helping you, to help your people, to help your business grow...

    In The News:

    • pen paper and inkwell


    cat break through


    The Dripping Faucet in Every Organization

    Each day millions of workers spend 8 hours or more... Read More

    Change Management

    "It is not the strongest species that survives, nor the... Read More

    5 Awesome Actions of Highly Creative Leaders!

    How many times have you wondered why you are unable... Read More

    How to Manage Your Most Valuable Assets - People?

    People management and leadership has become a major topic of... Read More

    Making Your Workers Your Partners

    There is an inherent conflict between owners and managers of... Read More

    10 Ways To Work Through A Business Slowdown

    In running any kind of business, it's inevitable that sometimes... Read More

    Competencies for HR Professionals in Knowledge-based Industry with Reference to IT, ITES-BPOs

    Introduction"High performing HR function affects bottom line nearly 10%"- A... Read More

    Customer Focus - Just 5 SimpleThings You Need to Think About

    You can boil down the difference between successful businesses and... Read More

    Don?t Forget Where You Came from - Why the Past is Important in Implementing Business Change

    Much of the literature and advice on implementing business change... Read More

    Great Groups! - Getting a Group to Think Like a Genius

    Great Groups! - Getting a Group to Think Like a... Read More

    Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Improving Workplace Safety

    This article relates to the Safety and Working Environment competency... Read More

    Create Your Dashboard for Success

    Driving down the road our eyes frequently scan the vital... Read More

    Think Time... Its Now Or Never

    I recently read an article published in the June, 2005... Read More

    Hiring Tip -- Picking The Best Candidates

    I often hear leaders from all types of organizations ask... Read More

    A Facilitators Guide to Running a Stakeholder Analysis Workshop

    This facilitator's guide to running a stakeholder analysis workshop is... Read More

    Get It Done! Soft Skills not Hard Tools are Required

    If your organization has people, then interpersonal skills are needed.I... Read More

    Character: Is It Necessary In Leadership? (Part One)

    We know character when we see it, but what exactly... Read More

    Quality Staffing: Stop Placing the Wrong People in the Wrong Jobs

    You can possibly teach a turkey to climb a tree... Read More

    Five Problem-Solving Success Tips

    The ability to solve complicated problems quickly is more important... Read More

    Teamwork Training: Learning to Build a Successful Team

    Teamwork is a process that can be experienced outdoors and... Read More

    Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Adapting Human Resource Functions

    This article relates to the human resource functions competency, commonly... Read More

    Motivating Employees - Ten Ways to Start You Off

    Yet there is a place for those external 'raft-build's', 'away... Read More

    Organize your Office- Seven Solutions

    1. Create a filing system with broad categories such as... Read More

    Time Management Tips for Managers

    Late last year I was presenting a workshop for the... Read More

    Don?t Get Down ? Manage Up!

    "Experience is not what happens to a man; it is... Read More

    Delegate, Dont Abdicate

    One of the key skills for the leaders of growing... Read More

    Identifying Candidates for Leadership

    A critical task in the succession planning process of any... Read More

    Organizational Culture, Creativity, Innovation

    It can be concluded with great certainty that certain organizational... Read More

    Attract and Retain Positively Great Employees - An Action Plan for Employee Training

    Everyday a business owner, CEO, or manager somewhere is complaining... Read More

    Hiring a Book Keeping Service

    Whether you choose to do your own books and accounting... Read More

    Time-Wasting Problems - One Question to Move You Forward

    In any organisation, progress is frequently impaired by the time... Read More

    How To Conduct Effective Meetings

    Before you call your next meeting, the FIRST step is... Read More

    Ten Steps to Take the Work out of Work ? Replicate Yourself!

    They say that management can be a lonely place. A... Read More