Staying on the cutting edge of changes, new products and services, and new technologies is a must if you want to be perceived as the best resource for prospects and customers. It takes real work and a commitment from everyone to keep up with all the changes in our world today.
ACTION ITEM
Make it a point to be the most informed and up-to-date in your industry. Provide your staff with the tools they need and insist they use them. Make your associates the people with the latest information and your customers and prospects will learn that you can be depended on to be on the cutting edge.
Tom operates a group of successful retail stores spread across Iowa and Wisconsin. He believes one of their marketing advantages comes from making a major effort to monitor the industry for new information and changes that are happening in their marketplace. To keep up, he and his crew receive a variety of trade publications each month. They frequently walk the aisles of trade shows and manufacturers' exhibits, and they carefully monitor manufacturers' mailings to see what's new. They also invest in several newsletters, including a daily fax bulletin that keeps them informed of what is going on in their market. Tom's salespeople frequently know about changes and innovations days, weeks, and sometimes even months in advance—long before their competition even gets wind of what is going on. They are perceived by customers as the best resource for the information and products they need.
TAKEAWAY
Our world is changing by the second. If you
don't change with it, you'll be listed in the
“Who's Through” in your business category.