If you’re anything like me, you like to think you’re right...that you know what’s best...that if only people would listen to you they’d be so much better off.  And of course that’s true :)

But what I’ve learned over the last few years is that businesses who tell their customers what they want, and how they want it, rather than listen to them, can very quickly lose even their most loyal following.

Negative capability, a phrase first coined by Keats no less, is I believe, the answer!  Having the ability to ‘negate yourself’...to take yourself out of the equation...to stop focusing on what you think, feel, believe, and start focusing on, or in some cases, get back to, what your customer needs...will help you to grow your business.

Throughout history, big companies have lost their way by taking their eye off the ball, becoming arrogant, taking their customer for granted...success can do that to people.  But for me it’s the small business owner who is most at risk because their passion for their programme, product, service...their big idea that led them to start-up in the first place, often doesn’t even involve the customer, until it comes to the selling bit.

‘Buy my lovely product! I made it just for you!  I didn’t ask whether you needed it, or whether you wanted it to look like this/ work in this way...but I know you’ll love it...why wouldn’t you??’

Of course I’m not saying anything you don’t already know here.  We all know that we should talk to our customers early on...find out what their problem is and how they want it fixed, and mould our product into a solution for them.

The difficult bit is getting ourselves out of the way...removing ourselves from the centre of everything we do...and putting the customer there.

Start with WHY?...absolutely!  But then ask WHO FOR? ...and focus all of your attention on them.

It’s really not about you!
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For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk
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I was disappointed to read a blog post the other day about BRM, (business relationship management), and how it compared to CRM, (customer relationship management). Why is it that we have this need to label and box up and reduce to an acronym, such important concepts?

Even worse, in a lengthy blog that claimed to list all the important business relationships that needed to be 'managed', there was no mention of the people in the business. Not one...and it was a long post.

For me those who try to 'manage' their BRM and CRM, are completely missing the point.

While at times it may feel like you're having to manage certain relationships, and there are always some you have to work at...good relationships are always the bi-product of how you act...the result of your behaviour over the course of time.

Relationships, be they personal or professional, are built on trust. And trust cannot be ‘managed’.

Trust can be built though...through consistency, through keeping your promises...doing what you say you’re going to do, caring. And that all starts with you. In a growing business, you are the heart and soul of your culture; you set the tone, you make the rules, you lead the way for your team to follow. The example you set, the standards you work to and insist upon, the processes and systems you put in place to support your people and manage your business effectively...these are the foundations of strong trusted business relationships.

...With your customers, who want to have their problem solved by knowledgeable, friendly people who are reliable and easy to do business with.

...With your team, who want to work with someone who inspires them, who cares for them as people, and who shows them on a daily basis that the consistency of their performance and their treatment of customers is important and valued.

...between your team and your customers, who learn to respect and value one another and who become loyal advocates of your brand.

Trust is huge in business - it can be the difference between success and failure, between pleasure and pain, between having strong relationships or those based purely on an exchange of money.

Build your trusted relationships...nurture them...but please, don’t try to manage them.
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For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk