Are you assuming too much?

Sorry that we have been neglecting this blog and our ezines for the past 4 months.  But we have not disappeared, just got busy with helping our clients solve their problems. 

I heard this quote the other day that prompted me back into action

“One of the most expensive habits you can adopt in a business is to assume you understand something that is fundamental to your success"

Business leaders can be tempted to make assumptions rather than ensure they really try to understand some customer issues.

Here are nine assumptions that business leaders sometimes make but can result in misleading conclusions.  If you are making any of these assumptions it will probably be limiting your growth prospects.  Do you ever assume that

1.      You must tell the customer how great you are?

2.  Customers are happy based on customer satisfaction research results?

3.  You know the most important reason customers buy your products?

4.       If you lower the prices sales volume will increase?

5.  You don’t need to ask the customer what his problems are?

6.      You should do something because the competition is doing it?

7.      You should do exactly what your customers tell you?.      

 8.      Customers want to buy everything from you not just what you are best at?

9.      We already know enough about the competition?

In our experience successful businesses do not assume.  They work hard to understand.  They seek to unravel the mysteries of how customers choose what to buy and so become more attractive to more customers, who then buy more of their products and services more often. 

Perhaps you have made some assumptions that you later regretted.  If you can let us know what they were we would be really pleased to hear them.  Post them in the comments or send them to us by email