Your prospective cus
tomers are talking all day long. They’re showing up on Social Media e.g. Facebook talking about their dreams, their worries and their fears.  Forums are filled with prospective buyers who are looking for someone who will give them a listening ear.
Gone are the days of “Big CEO and Company” going into the marketplace with an announcement that draws millions. Telling the market what they need doesn’t work. The question might really be, did it ever?
Your present and future clients are savvy and they are smart. They won’t fall for the old “Straight Talk Method” much like a teacher messages, any longer. They aren’t listening and they don’t care. But they do want you to hear.
Will you hear their pain? Feel their needs and pay attention to what wakes them up in the middle of the night? Listen to what your customers are asking for. Listen to what your competitor’s customers are saying too. Lean in. Pay very close attention. Listen to the “chatter” and take copious notes. There’s no reason to go without this information that is steadily flowing. The key to big profits in today’s market is a good “listening ear”.
What do they need? Your clients are very aware of what they need. But when you enter the marketplace a bigger issue must be faced. Are YOU aware of what they need?  This is the real issue when it comes to selling products or services. The reality of being successful in sales is summed up in this principle: People are looking to have their needs met. Period.
You can bring joy, security, and satisfaction to them as you serve them what they want and as they come to know you even better, you can serve them again and again. This is brand loyalty and long-term business in the making. It might sound crazy, but to the successful business owner, it’s Business 101. As a Small Business Consultant, I have done this strategically for some firms in Port Harcourt here faced with customer acquisition problem, I advised them…we did a survey and did some test-marketing of what the target group wants and we worked out modalities in the product specification and needs as desired by the customers and it was successful, so it works for our environment.
What are they complaining about? If you pay attention online through forums, chat groups, social media and other places people hang out, you’ll quickly learn what they need. It’s right there for anyone to discover. But it takes time to pay attention and, sadly, far too many companies aren’t listening.
Amid all the headlines of dropping profits, increased layoffs and lost investments, Boko Haram insurgence, something has remained the same that only a select few are paying attention to. People are still buying what they love, dreaming about what they want and making it plainly obvious what they don’t like!
Solve a problem with a unique solution and you’ll make a huge profit. If people really love your solution, get great satisfaction and you treat them better than anyone else, you will never lack as a company. And if you pay very careful attention to your client’s growing needs, you could easily create a long-term business. Pretty simple, isn’t it?
Are people disillusioned and unaware? Another great key to long-term profits is in becoming a resource that people can turn to and trust. Revealing hidden information, making difficult things simple and serving as an expert is a great way to grow a company.
It is my belief that we are at a critical time in history when people really do want the right information, they desire change and truly do want to know the truth. This is also a vulnerable time where less than commendable or reliable so-called experts are teaching things they know nothing about.
Institutions fill our heads with notions of “security” and “long-term dreams” when the sad reality is this: if you don’t market a product that is highly in demand, you’ll have an extremely hard time making a profit. Pay very close attention to what people are asking for. What are your customers struggling with? What do they want? What are they seeking? If you can give it to them, with value and excellence, you’re on the verge of huge success.
The marketplace pays for value. Your value is directly related to how much you can bring to the people you serve. If you help those who are unaware, confused or even disillusioned you could be personally responsible for helping others change their lives. This is one of the most fun ways to build a business. Bring value and change to your customers and they will love you forever.
Give it with excellence and honour. Excellent customer service seems to have left the face of the earth. Business owners are watching their bottom line more than the satisfaction of the customers they serve. This has not helped our economy one bit and needs a serious change. Talk about needing a revival in the marketplace. Where are the happy service representatives, CEOs who can’t wait to serve and product developers who dream of inventions at all hours of the night!? If you serve people with excellence and honour, you will be remembered forever. Because it’s so rare, you could quite frankly triple your profits if you do it long term. While it might not be easy, it surely isn’t popular and it isn’t something you even hear about much any longer in business school, it is always and has always been right.
Goodwill and honour will pay you much more and it will always leave you with a good night’s sleep. But what defines goodwill? Is it being available to your customers 24/7 through social media for every question or notion they might have? No. Not at all. But it does mean that when you are open, you give with all of your heart and with all that you have. Serve with excellence and honour and you’ll rise to the top!
Nwokocha is a Port Harcourt-based business consultant

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