Pull customers in with helpful content messaging that informs decision-making and drives affinity through the generous availability of relevant material. Open your doors to placing customer needs first and be surprised by how your business grows.
Nothing like a good analogy. Here I describe a few ways that social is like s-e-x. Rated G.
Online networking forums are a great means to connect like-minded people for sharing, collaboration, healthy discussion, and introductions (“It’s not what you know, it’s who…”). While there are a healthy handful of professional-oriented networking tools, LinkedIn is king. As with all social (by that I mean connectivity) applications, there are no official rule books although if you’re lucky, you find a few e-book primers written by solid ambassadors along the way. I haven’t found that insightful, clued-in PDF about LinkedIn yet, but I wish I had. I’m backing away from the LI group Q&A’s for awhile…
Nickel-and-dime is a notoriously quick, easy way to turn any transaction or service-based relationship sour. To get too granular with relatively insignificant charges mocks the trust demonstrated by the customer or client. And it’s insulting, placing little value in their past aggregated patronage. Businesses should take care to consider the bigger picture and larger opportunity that forging a courteous, trusted relationship presents with prime audiences.
Good customer stories – testimonials, case studies, endorsements – help prospects understand your business and solutions beyond the polished marketing-speak.
Serving client interests is a tricky thing. You start in one place with your eyes on another. Take a step forward hoping collectively you all want to head in the same direction. En route you discover technical flare-ups, supplier-side problems, competing priorities, and the ever-present politics along with some disengaged parties (who, nevertheless, will be looking for someone to hold accountable). What do you do? How do you handle the situation so that you all end up at the other end (mostly) together?
