I was inspired after soaking in a fantastic article by Guy Kawasaki, heres his blog post.

I say small business in the title for this post but this topic applies to non-profit organizations as well.

The message is the same: Focus on your customer.

Obsess over your customer and their wants, needs, hopes, and desires.

Stop selling stuff.

The first point in Carmine Gallo’s list, is to stop selling stuff.

Stop talking at customers and start talking with customers. Remember: We have 2 ears and 1 mouth.

Any small business or organization with goals involves relationships.

Unleash Inner Genius

Empower your customers! Take a cue from home improvement stores and help your customers do more. Someone once said that persuasion is understanding. With this philosophy in mind, help persuade your customers to understand more about the unique problems you can solve for them.

Enchantment Has Pillars!

Mr. Gallo names the pillars likability, trustworthiness, and quality.  

For those already being likable, trustworthy, and delivering quality consistently: a sigh of relief.

It’s a mouthful but it works.  Rinse, repeat and all that.

Are you on pace to your Goals and Objectives for 2012?

Focus on the point of the whole exercise. Your customers.  How can you improve their lives?

My Two-Cents

Can you improve your customers connections with their loved ones? Its not hard to see opportunities to accomplish this.

For example, nursing homes offer opportunities for improving client experience for their residents (and their families/friends). To build on this, you can create a secure network for your residents to share pictures, links, and conversations with their loved ones.

Just as important for your success?

Simplify the interaction with technology.  . Put an iPad in their hands and see them become empowered. Lines of communication are so enriched and easy to use these days, (not to mention extremely affordable) when the technology is available to the users.

 Follow The Steps Of Service

Approach with a customized, warm greeting. Probe politely to understand the customer’s needs. Present a solution the customer can take home today. Listen for and address unresolved questions. End with a fond farewell and an invitation to return. Guy Kawasaki’s Blog

Fantastic. Not hard to see why Apple’s foray into retail was so successful.