It’s who you know that really counts

Successful businesses are glued together by their advisors. Unless you have some divine ability to know everything there is to know in your industry, I strongly recommend that you compile a list of experts and key contacts and nurture them.

It is more often than not the advisors, negotiators and analysts that put the “big” in front of a company’s name. The best available advice is a key ingredient to become a big business. On you way to the top you might not have all the answers. Make sure you know people who know the answers, and secure your way to the top.

Surround yourself with smart people. They have the knowledge that will enable and empower you to become successful. Advice isn’t always cheap, but good advice is priceless. It’s who you know that really counts.

The only thing that might keep you from becoming a star is arrogance and pride. When was the last time you made a good decision without advice from a friend, family member or loved one?

So… sit down, shut up and listen.

Don’t guess what your customers want

Sometimes the best advice is free. The key ingredient to successful market research is to get as close as possible to the customer. With Internet and email it is now possible to get even closer to your clients. If your clients are so “close” to you, why not get them to do some work for you?

Your customer is the most reliable source of information at your disposal, and it is free. “Quality purpose recordings” are used to train personnel; on-line surveys and polls are used to collect valuable information directly from the targeted market.
If you collect information with the intention to improve the quality of your service your clients will certainly not have any problems giving you a piece of their minds.

You cannot get close to the consumer with aggregated data. Making one-to-one contact with a few clients will provide valuable, accurate data that cannot be matched by aggregated data.

If you do not have time to talk to your clients you better make time. You need to get rid of the “average” data and discover the real consumer. If you “make” time for your customers your customers will make more time for your business. In the process of communicating with your clients, your clients become part of the product development process. You will discover new segments and provide products and services that were actually developed by your clients.