Question Your Customer Comments

Dare I suggest that you question what your customers say?

Absolutely.

Many small businesses utilize surveys, suggestion boxes, comment cards or other mechanisms to solicit customer feedback. These can be excellent forms to gather input, but too many business owners misinterpret the data.

First of all, there are rarely enough data to make a well-informed decision. Without significant sample sizes, a business owner might react to one comment that may not represent the whole.

Secondly, the interaction represents one snapshot of time. Just what one person was thinking at that one time.

Third, the population that is inclined to fill out a survey is either extremely satisfied or extremely dissatisfied. While their feedback can be useful, often times their comments do not offer constructive advice: satisfied people like business as usual and dissatisfied people simply need to vent.

Thus, the best way for a small business to handle customer feedback is to question it.

Engage in dialogue with your customers. Then listen.

If you have a feedback mechanism, like a comment card or a survey, provide a means to follow up so you can dig into the comments.

If you receive a compliment, find out more. What specifically was good? Why was it so good? Do others share your opinion? And the best question of all, why would you recommend our business to others?

If you receive a negative comment, dig for more information. Set your ego aside and ask deep, probing questions. What was so negative? Why was it negative? How could we make it better?

In either situation, the 5 Whys are a terrific way to really question customer comments. Asking why 5 times for every interaction will produce actionable results.

To take your feedback to the next level, utilize social media and other on-line platforms to engage with customers and encourage dialogue. Social media can enable a larger sample size, a more varied perspective of time and a broader opinion base than a survey.

Gather your own customer panel via ratings on websites, fan pages on Facebook or tweets with a particular hash tag. Use the question and answer pages on LinkedIn. You will truly converse with your customer base and you can continually demonstrate the value you provide. Best of all, social media is free.

Just make sure you question every and all comments. Deep questions and lots of listening.

This act alone will move your business to the next level and it should be part of your Marketing DNA.

Please Tell Me Someone Already Thought of This!

Question for grocery stores out there: do you have "locally grown" produce section?

Most grocers carry an "organic" section that attract a certain niche of produce buyers. Fortunately or unfortunately--depending on which side of the aisle you stand--the anchor point for organic produce is a bit higher than non-organic produce. It seems to cater to a clientele with the ability to spend more.

But a "local" section could present a number of profitable and agreeable benefits.

First of all, it could be cheaper than the other options. If produce doesn't have to travel thousands of miles, the cost savings can be passed onto the customer. Savings sells in a grocery store.

Second of all, it makes wonderful environmental sense.

Most of all, a "local" produce section has the makings for a perfect Marketing DNA. It's differentiated so it will attract new and different customers. It serves an ideal niche of locals. And it adds value to the consumer, the growers and ultimately the bottom line of the grocer.

Sure there are probably some kinks to work out. Produce would not be as predictable as local growing cycles. Space is probably a concern as well since grocers generally occupy every square inch of their store. And maybe the displays would take some tweaking to make sure the message is clear.

But these seem to be easily-solved issues if the name of the game is to add value.

In fact, it seems so obvious to me that some grocer's out there must be doing it. And I'm not talking about those grocers that already have a strong organic following, like Whole Foods. I'm talking about bargain grocers like Grocery Outlet or Food Maxx. Or even big box stores with grocery departments like Wal-Mart and Target.

Are grocers already doing it? Please tell me somebody already thought of this!

Only the Greatest Ideas Get Implemented

Everybody has a great idea. Everybody.

There is someone with a great idea in every corner of the earth. Or at least they think it is a great idea.

Only the greatest ideas get implemented.

An idea can only become reality upon implementation. A great idea is never about "wouldn't it be great if?" or "I could have done that." Instead, it's about "when can I make this happen?" and "what do I need next?"

If you think you have a great idea, now is the time to implement it. Now is the time to make that idea into a reality. Otherwise, you're just like everyone else in every corner of the earth with an abstraction.

If you really want to move your business to the next level, it's time to test that concept and turn that idea into reality. If anything, your idea will evolve. You will learn what works and what doesn't.

And in the process you can discover how best to add value, differentiate and serve your niche.