Just in case you missed the fun and action at Ladies Night Think Spring on March 13th, here are some photos to make you feel like you were there!

 Or, how does the consumer influence social media?

The ability for average, every day users to create content online and have the message spread is influencing consumer behavior. Instead of the old model of advertisers putting interruption based ads in front of consumers, the consumers are talking amongst themselves via social media. Social media give people the power to share their message globally, and connect with virtually anyone who has the internet. There are millions of people who log into the online social networking sites every day. They provide a way for users to connect with and keep track of friends, upload photos, share links and videos, and connect with new people that they meet. Online social networking provides the newest and most powerful technology available in the advertising and marketing arenas.

The importance of any one of the online social media outlets is that people use it and they tell their friends. The advertising dollars that are able to be used though these companies are absolutely huge. The market itself changed the way that business is done on a world-wide scale. The market created itself thorough word of mouth awareness, and continues to grow exponentially each and every day riding on the waves of a technology and information driven now society.

How often do we try to share as much information with a prospect as we can? Do we in our excitement share too much? Do we answer the unasked question and try to justify our position even before what we learned our customer is looking for? The answer to the above questions is often yes. It’s in our nature to share what we know, and explain it in sometimes technical terms, and raise issues that are important to us. What’s missing in this equation? The thoughts and questions of the customer.

We brainstormed some ideas today in Organic Marketing (TM) at the InSights Group. We came up with some collective ideas that will help us think like a customer when we are marketing, and when we are at that point of sale. Don’t answer the unasked question. Listen More. Describe your buying process differently if the customer has never purchased your product or service before.  Tune in to what you are recieveing as feedback from your consumer, and make the process easy. There is a difference between feeling pressured to buy and having the ease of making a decision. Let’s make it easier to do business with each other.

What are some ways that you can think like the customer in your business?

We had a great opportunity to go with the MCC organization to a Detroit Pistons Basketball game today. We even had the chance to meet James “Buddha” Edwards.

When talking to him before the game, he was asked if he had any advice for someone starting out in basketball, or in any profession. His advice was simple, strive towards your goals and don’t hold anything back. At the end of the game make sure that there is nothing left and you put it all out on the court. How important!

Blog Interview with James Buddha Edwards

I’ve talked about the VW plant in Dresden and how advanced it is! Well here are some pictures to help us all realize how behind we are and that we need to get busy!! Lets do it Michigan!!!