There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everyone in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.
There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everyone in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.
SAM WALTON
Is the customer always right?
Well, most certainly, in the broad terms of the success of our respective projects, we may presume the customer carries all the clout, but in reality, there are so many other pieces of the puzzle, as to potentially diminish this truism from being a de facto expression of reality.
Unquestionably, if something is for sale, or if something is expected for a customer to purchase or subscribe, the decision gets made with the proverbial pocketbook.
In that decision, we are continuously massaging the prices, product selection, product integration, consumer expectations, and so much more, in order that we might ultimately gauge in advance what that customer is likely to attract to.
But even with all of the science, tools, prior knowledge, and every other factor working in our favor, we are still just as likely to miss the mark, as hit it.
The reason for this is because, the customer is swayed by so many variables as to potentially limit the combination of permutations we are likely to be capable of projecting. Instead we must maintain a balance between our ongoing romance of captivating new customers in tandem with keeping the existing customer base happy and satiated.
What is it that ultimately prognosticates success above all else? The answer to that remains the ultimate mystery to every business working to keep these equations working positively in their favor.
But if you ask any longtime, experienced marketer, they will tell you that, even with complete adherence and dedication to the principles behind proven methodologies, the disruptive nature of other variables, such as new technologies, new trends, new laws, or regulations, as well as new world circumstances, all are directly applicable to the prospect of getting these variables as accurate as they might possibly be.
It is, of course truly wise to keep your customer base top of mind and consider as many viable resources, as you may, in order to ultimately achieve the greatest success, but I will continue to advocate that using your greater intuition, and, imagination, is of equal or in many cases greater importance than just listening to the customer…for there are many times, when even the customer does not know what they want, until suddenly they are presented with it and their enthusiasm and delight varies with the experience.
Happy Sunday!
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