The 4 Best Business Tips You'll Ever Receive

We are business owners, and so too are our clients as well as many of our friends and associates. So, we first sat down and devised a list of the best business tips we could think of. Then we asked around a bit, and eventually came up with a comprehensive list. We then refined the list, limiting it to only the ones that would have the greatest impact on your business. We hope they help, and please feel free to comment and suggest any we may have missed.

1) Listen To Your Customers

Sounds simple, and you've heard it before, but how much does your decision making truly involve your customers' expressed wants and needs? Ask them about your product or service, specifially pertaining to your offerings, or in general about your industry or competitors. Actively seek out their opinion by polling them on your Web site, or in an email, or on Facebook or LinkedIN or even just when you're talking to them in person. Offer something in exchange for their time to answer, if appropriate. Ask them what's good and bad with your company when you speak to them in person or on the phone (you can word that differently of course). Check out your listing on Yelp.com... if you're being spoken about, positively or negatively, it may be happening on Yelp. There are many other ways, just make sure you're listening and learning--always. Providing customers with what they want and need only happens if you truly know what those wants and needs are.

2) Over Deliver

Another one of those things we hear all the time that border on the cliche. But are you doing this? Can you? A customer who perceives a company as going "above & beyond" is a happy customer. Those customers/clients are likely to not only return again and again, but also likely to refer you to their friends. So whenever and wherever you can, try to give the customers what they want and expect... and then give them some more.

3) Get Social

Social Media may be one of those things you hear about all the time, but that you just can't seem to fully grasp the relevance of as it pertains to your business. You've advertised before, you're probably advertising now. Those ads may have worked well, but there is a limit to how far they can go, especially when considering the ROI of each ad purchased. If you employ social media marketing tactics, you're essentially building a relationship with your customer BEFORE you even broach the subject of sales. It's an incredibly effective way to present your company so blog, get on Facebook, LinkedIN, etc... but learn what you're doing before you do it, or you may end up spinning your wheels.

4) Get Personal
Depending on your business, some, most, or even all of the contact you have with customers may be digital or otherwise impersonal. Take a step back and think of some of the best relationships you have in business. Many are likely to be with people who you speak with, not just email. Getting personal with a customer by talking to them on the phone, meeting them in person one-on-one or at a show or other function, or any other way in which you communicate "humanly" with them, builds a bond that will often get you through a tough time--not to mention get you referrals. A customer who has a bad experience with someone they don't personally know may find it much easier to jump ship. But if they know-trust-like you, they're probably going to stick with you through thick and thin, as long as you keep the relationship strong by providing them with value. Remember that your customers have many other options. Foster a relationship that all but eliminates the need for them to consider any of those other options.

Have More Tips? Tell Us.