You want to keep all your customers happy. The problem is that everyone thinks differently and experiences things uniquely. You can't please 100% of your customers. But you can focus on the needs of a smaller amount of customers. Please them, and you'll automatically have a lot more happy customers.



Amy has a jewelry store. She has been in business for a few years and has a lot of experience in this field. One of her business policies is to get feedback from her customers. Although this is an excellent technique for finding out what your customers want, you must use the feedback with discretion.

Amy's problem was that she took each comment too seriously; she tried to please everyone and was constantly changing her business practices and product line. This constant change not only caused her frustration, a lot of extra work, and the extra cost involved with each change, it also made her business unstable.

Customer feedback is an essential part of running a business, but the way you interpret those results is critical. Since you can't please everyone, please those that you can. Find out what your customers want, and then choose products and services along that line.

Do less, do a better job, and you'll do better in your business. You'll find that your profits grow, you're more focused on what needs to be done and you're more at ease. Don't go after quantity, but rather focus on quality. You can't please everyone, so please those that you can and you'll end up pleasing more customers. If you try to please everyone, you'll end up pleasing no one. When you combine your strengths and the desires of the majority of your customers, you'll be able to create a better, stronger business.

Let's take the above example of Amy's jewelry shop. Amy has expertise in diamonds, and 60% of her customers come to her shop to purchase diamonds. Amy also has gold rings, gold bracelets, and silver as well as other types of jewelry. Now, if Amy were to focus only on diamonds and build her business in this area instead of spreading herself thin with the other categories of jewelry, she would do much better.

She could take surveys to find out what areas of the diamond trade customers are interested in and determine what services are also needed. She can easily become one of the leading diamond retailers in her area simply by making an adjustment in her focus.

What part of your business do you need to focus on? What are your strengths? Focus on those areas, and eliminate the areas in which you're not doing so well and that are not what your customers want. You'll find that your business will prosper, and you'll move up the ranks with regard to branding, customer service, and quality.

Do your best at pleasing the people you can and forget about those you can't. You'll end up with happier customers, and more of them, along with a stronger, stable business!

Action Steps to Please Your Customers

1. Keep in mind that you can't please everyone, so please those people you can.

2. Find out what your customers want.

3. Eliminate those areas that do not focus on your customers' desires.

4. Build on those areas that cater to your customers desires.

Important Points to Keep When Trying to Please Your Customers

* Everyone thinks differently and experiences things uniquely.

* Customer feedback is an essential part of running a business, but the way you interpret those results is critical.

* You can't please everyone, so please those that you can and you'll end up pleasing more customers.

* When you combine your strengths and the desires of the majority of your customers, you'll be able to create a better, stronger business.