Soar to Success August 2021

SOAR TO SUCCESS / Feature Article but also in the United States, Europe and Asia, as well. He authored the book, “Listen Innovate Grow: A Guidebook for Start-ups and SMEs to Acquire and Grow Business (B2B) Customers.” Before the worldwide pandemic, Michael spent much of his time traveling the world conducting keynote presentations and workshops for Small and Medium Sized organizations. Today, virtual speaking helps him reach a large audience, plus touch all corners of the world. He also provides written content for two magazines in Australia, “Inside Small Business” and “Dynamic Business.” “One of the recurring questions I am asked is how to reach a younger segment of the population. Small businesses realize the potential of reaching younger adults and want to find an effective method to acquire those customers.” Michael’s business, as with his book, is called, “Listen Innovate Grow.” He firmly believes that those are the three fundamental activities that small business owners must dedicate themselves to every day, if they want to continue to survive and be successful. Success in a B2B context requires that these critical activities are undertaken in a specific way. LISTEN “Listening is about gaining an in depth understanding on 3 levels. First is listening to YOU which is about understanding the company’s goals and objectives. What are the organization’s strengths? What can our personnel offer and how can we best maximize our staff’s expertise? In what areas have we been most successful? By generating a clear picture of where youwant to go and understanding the strengths of your core business will allow you to build an even more successful enterprise.” Secondly, he also understands that a business owner must LISTEN to the market, as well. Knowing and understanding your competition, overall industry and your place in it is one of the most important facets for growth and longevity. “Youneedtohaveathoroughunderstanding of your industry. What are the market niches, geographic markets and what are the key trends of that particular industry?” Ultimately every business needs to listen to their clients and adapt to their ever-changing needs. However, to succeed in a B2B context, requires that you gain an in-depth understanding of the priorities, requirements, and expectations of those who make the actual purchase-decision (i.e. the buyers) for your particular service or solution.