What Has Changed

• Satisfied customers are loyalty neutral.
• Buyers want a promise of outcome not a selling proposition.
• Getting to the marketplace is easy, being found is not.
• A mass of niches has replaced the mass market.
• Best practices are not always the right practices.
• Consumers buy distinction not just difference.
• Personalized and humanized communication has replaced top down merchandising.
• Success with social media requires being interactive AND social.
• Word of mouth is driven by elevated experiences rather than expected good service.
• Growth requires leadership not ownership.
• The consumer voice is fact and trumps your perception.
• Curiosity far outweighs convincing as a traffic building strategy.
• Consumers expect ongoing improvement both experientially and functionally.
• Value is defined solely by the buyer not the seller.