The most important principle of any successful marketing and/or sales effort is this: The Client is King.

All of the marketing channels, press, events, campaigns, advertisements and posts you’re churning out every day are positioned for and to secure the business of the Client—aka, the King. But what does it really mean to say that the client is king?

The phrase itself used to be a popularized slogan for product sales a generation or two ago as, “The Customer is King”. However, as the market has changed with the times, our understanding of the phrase has changed as well.

Simply put, when the customer is king, it means that the customer is the focus and central driver of your business. In the end, it’s the customer who keeps your business afloat. With no customer, there’s no business. And with no business, there’s no paycheck to take home.

A successful business is built and maintained on the foundation of satisfied customers.

That’s who you need to please and cater to. Get on their good side, and they’ll return again and again. Happy customers are returning customers, and returning customers sustain and grow successful businesses.

Make sense? The customer is king. It’s not about you.

Here are a few key reasons you should always put the client first:

PERCEPTION IS REALITY

You’ve heard it before: The customer is always right.

That’s the school of thought the first reason stems from. Of course, the customer is not, in fact, always right. Sometimes they get things very wrong.

However, right or wrong, happy customers are a central component of a successful business. Simply put, people like being right—it feels good. Ensure your customers feel good, and they will be happy.

In marketing, you have the power to shape your customers’ perceptions of your business and services, and it is your responsibility to keep their perceptions in a positive light. Their perception is their reality.

REMEMBER THE GOLDEN RULE

Treat others as you would wish to be treated.

The proverb is centuries old, but its relevance is timeless. If your business is going to be successful, you must empathize with your customers and show a thorough understanding of their needs and desires. Again, it is about creating and maintaining positive customer perspectives.

People want to be heard, and they want to be understood.

When they feel they’ve been heard and understood, people can begin to build trust. It is imperative that your customers see your business and services as trustworthy, and in marketing it is your job to nurture this relationship and build positive rapport with your customers.

Businesses invest significant amounts of money trying to attract new customers—however, there’s more ROI in investing in existing customers and converting them into ongoing clients.

Reviews, word of mouth, and referrals are the greatest sources of lead generation for most businesses.

Diversify your efforts and focus on providing the level of service that you would expect of your own providers. Nine times out of then, that’s what your customers want too. Don’t forget the Golden Rule. It applies in business too.

Next page: THE INTERNET IS NOT ALWAYS YOUR FRIEND and CLIENTS MAKE A BUSINESS