Putting the customer first is something that might sound easy, but the truth is most companies fail to do it. Yes, you have created something and it actually works, you gain profits and all, but if you don't focus on your customers you might lose everything. Here is how you can achieve this:
1. Don't focus on the profit so much - yes, profit is the thing that turns the wheel of your company, but keep in mind that it comes from customers. While you try to maximize the revenue of your company, you will catch your self thinking more about advertising and costs, and suppliers, and materials etc. And the customers will be only a small part of the whole picture. You know this is wrong, right? The customers ARE the picture.
2. Smallest details are a way to success - you remember your first client, right? You remember how excited you were and how you wanted to make the perfect product or service for him. You remember how you worked late putting effort even in the smallest details. Do you still do this? Do you still chase perfection? Or you let the small problems slide, because you know no one will notice?
3. The customers isn't always right - most companies want to treat their customers like they are gods and can't be wrong. Well, the customer can be wrong. Guess who is the one that needs to enlighten the customer when hi isn't right? You are. For example - if the customer wants to buy a gear which isn't suitable for the activity he is about to take part into - do you tell him the truth or you sell it to him anyways, because profit?
4. Fix it, even if it ain't broke - if you, as a business owner, think that you are happy right where you are, than you need to be concerned. While you can make you business move forward, backwards or stay still, the world business is constantly moving on. You need to keep with it or you will fall behind. So, what you need to do is - start innovating and keep things moving, even if you like where you are right now.
More interesting articles:
1. 5 Tips for Effective Selling
2. 4 Tips for a Good Self-promotion
3. The 4 Laws of Customer Service