Here are my stylish folks preparing for the opening of our gourmet grocery in 1968.

Take care of the people who matter

Today's the quarterly observance of Know Your Customer Day. I like to add stakeholders to the mix, because they count, too, especially for mission-driven organizations. It seems obvious, but so often if we bother to consider these folks at all, we do it haphazardly. That often results in poor decision-making and less-than-optimal outcomes.

Here's a handful of posts to help you gain insights on the people who buy/benefit from your work:

• How to integrate customer/stakeholder perspectives into your key messaging.
• Guest Post: How to learn more about your customers and prospects to grow your business from survey expert Jeanne Hurlbert.
• 3 tips for surveying your customers and prospects for insights that will help achieve business goal.
• Hint: It’s not about you.
• Audience engagement hinges on your understanding of their needs, values and concerns. Here's how to get a handle on that.

Bonus item: Check out my slide deck on audience engagement.