As consumers, we are the perfect marketers.

We know exactly how brands we trust should improve their products or approach their customer service.

We have a ton of suggestions – and if only they were fulfilled – we’d fall in love with these brands all over again.

So why is it, when it comes to our own companies and marketing strategies, the last thing we do is listen to our customers?

Everything is about telling the customer what they want, and showing them how our products can help them. It’s about convincing consumers to pay premium prices, and explaining why they need our services and extra features.

There’s nothing wrong with education or brand building.

That being said, marketers need to spend to either change their product to better meet the customer’s needs, or work on their pitch to better reflect how their product meets the customer’s actual needs.

Let’s look at a couple of ways you can work to build customer relationships by listening to your audience, and how you can use this information to improve your product or your pitch. (more…)