Customers' Desires Your Most Important Marketing Weapon
 Selling a product or service that addresses your customers' wants is a huge marketing advantage.
Finding out what your customers want is the topic I will focus on in this article.
Please don't take this issue lightly.
Focusing on what your customer wants can make the difference between surviving in you business to thriving in your businesses!
Larry's Story
Larry took the time to speak with each approachable customer in his store. He found out some incredible information that he never would have figured out on his own, simply because he asked.
He found out what irritated some customers. He found out what the customers considered to be missing and he found out what his customers wanted. He was able to adjust a few minor business policies and add a new product line to increase his profits by 18%. Now Larry plans to do this marketing research once every month. It's well worth the effort!
Trying to figure out in your head exactly what makes your customers responsive is a technique you can start with, but to get solid results, you may want to use the techniques outlined in this article.
Here are some ways you can find out your customers' wants
Direct contact
This simply means that you contact your prospects or customers and speak with them. Keep in mind that you should have your questions ready ahead of time. You also want to approach people that are approachable. If you can tell someone is in a hurry, let him go on his way.
Survey
You can create a carefully crafted survey that will help you identify your customers' wants. Offering an incentive will help you get a better response to your survey. If you're interested in creating a survey script, this site offers such a script.
A-B split test
An A-B split-test campaign offers one customer one offer and another customer a different offer. The offers are split evenly between the number of customers or prospects. The offer that works best becomes your main offer, and then you test that offer against a new offer. Doing constant testing and tracking will help you identify your customers' wants.
Getting someone else's research
Contact other related businesses and offer them something in return for their information. You must find businesses similar to yours that won't be affected by them sharing their marketing information. For example, if you have restaurant in one town, then you need to get your information from a restaurant like yours in a different city.
Check for associations in your industry
If you find one, join the association and get all the marketing information and statistics available to members. These associations have details about the industry that can be valuable and allow you to better cater to your customers' wants.
Buy marketing reports compiled by others
This is a shortcut to getting the information you want quickly. It's expensive at times, but it does the job. This site offers some reports.
Hire someone to research the data
You can hire firms or individuals to do the research for you. Remember, you have to be clear about what you want. You can find these firms and individuals at sites such as Elance.com.
 Do your own research
Get on forums, blogs and other sites that your customers visit. For example if your customers are online marketers, then it would be wise to complete the Anthony Blake Form.
By reading the post you can come up with ideas for creating or marketing products and services that people want, you have to read between the lines, and look for common problems. If you can come up with a solution then you have something you can market that people want!
Save Time And Money By Giving Them What They Want
Finding out what your customers want and giving it to them is a good shortcut to building a great successful business. It's the difference between an excellent passive marketing campaign and a failed campaign. The more time and effort you invest in this area, the better off you'll be.
That's the way I see it.
Acey Gaspard
A Touch of Business.com
Important Points to Keep in Mind When Trying to Determine Your Customers' Wants
- Selling a product or service that addresses your customers' wants is a huge advantage to your marketing.
- Offering an incentive will help you get a better response to your survey.
- Doing this constant testing and tracking will help you identify your customers' wants.
- Finding out what your customers want and giving it to them is a good shortcut to building a great successful business.
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