Stephen LynchIf you want loyal followers you need to earn their trust first.  Here are some simple (but not always easy) actions you can take – inspired by a blog post in Random acts of leadership.  

Stephen Lynch Consider both costs and benefits 

Stephen LynchBob Eckert, CEO of Mattel, was interviewed in Fortune Magazine in August 2009. Here’s a summary: 

Stephen LynchLinkedIn is the premier social networking site for “business leaders”, with more than 40 million users worldwide. Currently, the average user is 41 years old, well educated, earns a 6 figure income, and more than 50% of users claim to be key decision makers in their company. 
 
If this sounds like your target market - then we recommend you get active on LinkedIn in order to connect with, and build trust-based relationships with these business leaders. 
 
Key benefits of LinkedIn:  

Stephen LynchSource: Professor Gary Marcus of New York University.  

Stephen LynchJohn Donahoe, CEO of eBay was interviewed in the New York Times recently. Here is a summary: 

Stephen LynchAt some point you will have to deal with an upset customer. Your challenge is to handle the situation in a way that leaves the customer thinking you are a great company to deal with, and they become a passionate advocate for your brand. 

Stephen Lynch
1. Your job is to grow sales – not do sales
    
   Entrepreneurs are often too involved in deal making and selling. A sales leader's job (and if you're the owner of the business, you are the sales leader) – is not to grow sales yourself; it is to grow your salespeople in quantity and quality so they in turn will grow your sales for you.
    
2. Research your customers 
    
   "Old school" selling meant spending time with prospects learning more about their business and asking them a lot of questions. Yes, you still need to ask questions, but the availability of information on the internet means you should have so much information about the client before you meet, that you ask them questions about what you've learned – and show them how informed and professional you are.
    
3. It's about the customer 
    
   Do you really understand the customer, and are you offering something that they actually have a desire and a need for? A salesperson's job is to do a lot less selling and a lot more helping people to buy. If you can't help them, then the right thing to do is to refer them where they can find the right solution for their needs.
4. What is your perceived value?
   
   In order to retain your customers you obviously need to have a product or a service that creates real genuine value. But, the very first time a customer buys from you they don't buy real value, because the only time they can buy real value is on the second and subsequent purchases. Initially, what they are buying is their perception of your value. You need to understand how to effectively sell this perception.
 

Stephen LynchNew research from Wharton "Discovering 'WOW' – A Study of Great Retail Shopping Experiences in North America" identified the top 5 factors (in order) that drive great customer experiences and positive word of mouth recommendations. 

Stephen LynchIn our minds, The Economist is the premier global newsmagazine.