Putting customers first is easier said than done, especially with the excellent comment that knowing what they want is key (and sometimes not easy).

Thanks for the insights and I’ll be back for more!

I really loved hearing what David, Liz and everyone else had to say about my site. And I’m getting even more help from some of the other folks that were there – even after the fact.

Your first point, by the way, of taking care of customers is dead on. I’ve built three businesses and helped two others grow all by giving stellar customer service. I think of every client as a business partner and I engage them that way – polite, kind and at their level.

That resonates for me. In my coaching business, I run into many folks who can do “a ton of stuff, and do it well.” But until a person or a business chooses one thing at which to be “best in the world” customers won’t buy.

Kent

Mike, Yesterday it was 85 and sunny. Today rain and 55. Go figure. You bring up a good point. In order to give your customers what they want it helps to have a good idea what that is first.

Tariq, You are so right. I can’t remember which speaker it was (David, maybe?) that said we all have a brand whether we set out to build it or just let it happen.

You said that branding is about managing how we are perceived. I couldn’t agree more, and also agree about intentionality. One of the things that seems to happen to people is that they get so focused on their intentions that they do not step back enough to consider unintentional consequences of their efforts. They create impressions that they do not intend, but are so focused on continuing to pursue a certain path that they unintentionally perpetuate and deepen a bad impression of themselves.

It may be helpful to have objective people give feedback on our branding goals, methods and results. Doing so could help avoid unintentional consequences.

Hope the weather in the Port is nice.

I like both of these topics, but thought I’d leave a quick comment on the customer experience topic. I think the key to improving those experiences is to ask FIRST, what experiences do my customers want and SECOND, how am I delivering those and how can I improve those delivery mechanisms?

I think the most valuable lesson from Ken Blanchard’s “Raving Fans” is the as a business leader, you need to think hard about what experiences you WILL and WILL NOT provide, and then focus all the mechanics around those choices. The appropriate customers will self-select if you’ve defined a compelling experience core.

Mike