Are You Customer Focused?

I once met with a business owner who asked for help in developing her marketing.  During our meeting she told me "All I need is a television ad!"

Quite puzzled by her resolute desire for TV advertising, I began to ask her a few questions about her business and her competition. What surprised me most was her answer about her potential customers.

She believed that all those potential customers who were purchasing the services of her competition were fools, stupid and she was not interested in converting them into her customers.

A word to the wise, This is certainly not the foundation on which to build an effective marketing strategy!  The most successful marketing strategies are those, which are customer focused.

So here's my Marketing Cents tip: Begin first with your existing customers as the basis on which you recruit new business opportunities. For every existing customer you have, try to get at least two referrals from them for new prospects who might be interested in your services.  This costs you NOTHING and can be very effective the more you focus on building those relationships.