How well do you know your customers?  Do you understand their needs and/or concerns?  Do you understand their buying habits? 

All good questions that every business should take into consideration. 

Our world is dynamic.  Today’s fantastic product may not address your customer’s needs tomorrow.  As a result, the wants of your customers can change.  As marketers, it is important for us to reach out to our customers and to do so often and in as many ways as possible.

Ways to get to know your customers better:

Digital Marketing.  Digital marketing provides us with many ways to approach our customers asking for feedback.  Whether it is through an email survey or social media, digital marketing provides an inexpensive way to learn more about your customers.

Face to Face Meetings.  Whenever possible, it is always a great idea to meet with your customer in person.  Never underestimate the power of meeting with a customer in person.  Face to face meetings build personal relationships. 

Learn from them.  Whether the interaction with your customer is digital or in person, take the time to think through what information you’d like to glean through your communication.  Some questions to consider:

• Is your customer still satisfied with your product or service?
• How can you improve your product or service?
• What features/benefits would they like to see in the future?
• Do they feel that they are receiving adequate customer support?
• What would they need to get superior customer support?
• What is your customer’s likely buying cycle?

 Knowing your customer and addressing their needs builds brand loyalty.  

Three hints for planning successful international meetings.