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6 tips for getting to know your customer

The success of your company depends on your customer and whether or not they continue to come back to you.You must know your customer, what they want, and give it to them.This does not mean simply to know who your customer is, but to actually understand the people to whom you are marketing and why.

There are many ways in which you can get to know your customer.Here are 6 tips for getting to know your customer better.

1. Talk to them directly.The best way to get to know a person is to listen to what they have to say.You can get information about your products and services through surveys, online discussion groups, focus groups, feedback questionnaires, etc. as well as just paying attention to what customers are saying and what you observe.Use this information to paint as complete a picture as possible of what your customers genuinely value and why.

2. Attend trade association meetings.One way to learn about industry trends and big-picture issues is to attend your prospects' professional organization meetings, seminars, conferences and chamber of commerce meetings.You can learn a lot of valuable information as it pertains to your clients and you can learn what your prospects are saying about both your company and about your competitors.

3. Get to know editors/sales reps of trade publications.Trade publications are a great way to get information about the people to whom you are marketing.Many publications conduct readership surveys that can include job challenges, family concerns, interests, hobbies, etc.Your sales rep or editor may also be able to offer marketing tips and strategies because they are in the business to know customers.

4. Use the Internet to search for relevant information. You can find a wealth of information about your prospects' industry simply by researching the Internet.You can find out about a particular job, learn insider jargon, search for industry white papers and find surveys and reports.Most of this information comes free of charge, so you can do a lot of research for very little expense.

5. Monitor blogs and discussion forums.Visit industry forums and blogs to find out what your customers are saying about your company and its products.People like to complain and can be brutally honest when given the chance to rant publicly and anonymously.Similarly, if your service and product are exceptional, people will comment on that as well because they want to make sure to recommend it to their peers.All you have to do to find out if anything is being said about your company is to do a search of your company name and see what comes up.Knowing what customers say about you will help you to understand where they are coming from.

6. Go on sales calls with your sales reps.Go on one or two sales calls a month or call distributors and customers for feedback.Meeting prospects face-to-face at their work place is invaluable because you will get to hear their objections and why they may be considering your competitors' product.

Marketing a product or service can be easy if you know who it is you are marketing to.Get to know them, familiarize yourself with their demographics, income ranges, where they live, what motivates them, their migration patterns, etc.Try to determine what it is about your clientele that is prompting them to choose you over the competition as well as determine why and who they will patronize instead if they decide to leave.All this information is invaluable when it comes to marketing yourself, your company, and your product.

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