~by Donya Zimmerman~
As a small business owner, you must know your products and services, but you should also know your customer – extremely well. For your business to be successful, you must have an understanding of your customers’ needs.
You cannot expect anyone to buy your products or services if you don’t put the customer first. Remember, customers understand exactly what they are willing to pay for. And they’ll want to know why your products or services are better than the competition’s products or services.
Customers like to feel valued by businesses. So it’s important to be genuine when offering products or services. People know when a business cares about them and values them as customers. To connect with your customers, you must get over yourself and put them first. When selling a product or service, the customer should be the focus, rather than you, the business owner.
Know your customer, and focus your marketing on them.
Look to invest in your customers, because when you do, they’ll be more willing to invest in your business by returning to buy more products or services. And, they will refer their family and friends to your business.
When putting together your advertising campaign to attract customers, remember that the ad should discuss a need and how your business can meet that need. The advertisement should state why the customer should buy your products or services. And it should state why your products or services are better than the competition’s.
When marketing your products or services, take “I” out of the vocabulary, and put “you” or “customer” in the vocabulary. Your marketing materials should never be about you, and should always be about the customer. Your marketing should give a description of the products and services offered by the business. And it should mention how those products or services will benefit the customer and provide a solution to a problem.
The marketing of your business should always center on the customer, their needs, and resolutions to problems or pain points of the customer.
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Meet the Author: Donya Zimmerman
Donya Zimmerman
Donya Zimmerman is a business consultant, mediator, and legal professional with over ten years of experience. Donya is also a public speaker and aspiring author.
She is owner of Family & Community Mediation and Business Consulting (FACMBC) and Powerful Biz Woman (subsidiary of FACMBC), both of which are based in Baltimore, MD.
Services provided by FACMBC: Mediation and Conflict Resolution Services; Business Registration Assistance; Business Plan Drafting Assistance; Business Certification Assistance; and Business Organization Assistance.
If you are thinking about starting your own small business or non-profit organization, do not hesitate to contact me because I can show you how to do so.
For more information about Donya:
- Email: dzimmerman36@gmail.com
- Website: http://dzimmerman36.wordpress.com & www.conflictresolutionandconsulting.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/FACMBC
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dzbusconsultantandmediator
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/FACMBC
