Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Know Your Customer First, Then Grow Your Business

Know your customer first, before anything else, is the best way to grow your business.  So many business owners know their business or trade, but do they truly know their customers?  To know your customer or clients is the only way to ensure your business is providing the right products and services they really need.  How do you begin to know your clients?  There are so many tools out there that can help you do just that.  I find that simply asking them, “what exactly are you looking for and how can I be of assistance?”  Sounds easy right?  Well it is!
 
Learning your customers’ needs can be challenging, but it will ultimately pay you back in sales.  For instance, streamlining your business to focus on one product line or neglecting to offer other accessories and services because it is “too much of a headache” is just not going to work in today’s marketplace.  I have seen it all too many times, “we don’t want to offer that service because it is too hard on my staff”.  Well is your staff running the business or are you?  Perhaps you were not properly motivating your employees to offer those extra services, or worse, you simply were not charging enough to make it worth the while.
 
What is important to remember is that your customers are the ones paying the bills, listen to them and their requests and change your business to be a better fit for their needs.  One method that has always worked for us at Sign-Express is to offer a total package and gauge the client’s responses and interests.  Have a solution available for any and all requests, even if it is not something that is your core product.  Our core products are lighted signs and LED signs, but we offer sign design, permitting reviews as a complementary service to help potential clients reach a better solution.  Then we offer site surveys, sign permitting, sign installation and after installation support.  You would think this is only natural, but the truth is, most large sign companies prefer not to handle sign permitting and sign installation due to the complexity and liability of such services.  So the client is left with dealing with multiple vendors in order to achieve the desired result, this is often costly and miscommunication runs amuck.
 
If you truly want to grow your business and provide the very best product and services to your clients, you must take note on what they are requesting.  Charge appropriately for your services, never discount them as simple or easy, your skills are worth the price and the client will thank you later for a job well done.  And always remember to advertise your products and services effectively through all means available.  Know your customer!
 
Sign-Express is a total turn-key signage solution provider of lighted signs and LED signs in the US.  We pride ourselves in going above and beyond with each of our clients.  Call or click to speak with one of our professional sign designers so you can get started making money! 

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