LISTEN FOR PROFITS

"The key to success is to get out into the store and listen
to what the associates have to say. It's terribly important
for everyone to get involved. Our best ideas come from
clerks and stockboys."  --  Sam Walton

I love this wonderful quote from a man who was, for a
while, the richest man on earth. He built an empire by
listening to his employees, his customers, and only rarely
to the Harvard Business Review and other experts. There is
tremendous wisdom in letting your customers tell you how to
succeed!
Routinely, business owners and professionals turn to
consultants to increase their sales, their margins and
their profits. As a coach, I know the tremendous value in
hiring the right expert at the right time! But there is
also great value in listening to our customers.
When they hire us, or buy from us, they are saying that in
their wisdom, we provide the best value available in the
market place. That is a wonderful compliment! It is not,
however, one that is likely to last. And, when our
potential customers go to a competitor, they are telling us
something equally vital.
Listen to your customers! Encourage your best, most
reliable customers to tell you why they love your service,
your products or your company. And, if you can, try even
harder to learn from those who walk away. They have their
reasons, and ignoring them is a recipe for failure.
Technology and market analysis are great tools. But in the
end, your most valuable research information comes from
your customers, from the potential customers you lost to a
competitor, and from the line staff who do the daily work
of running your business. Listen, learn and profit!