"As much as creative marketing and promotions can help a product, service, or company stand out," writes Linda Ireland at the MarketingProfs Daily Fix blog, "it always comes down to a simple premise: Did you solve the need that triggered the customer to act in the first place?" In other words: You can surprise and delight customers all you like, but it won't matter if you don't fix what they asked you to fix. So keep your focus on this goal with tips like these:

Do what you said you would do. You'll impress customers by providing the product or service you promised, on time and without any surprises along the way. It would seem self-evident, but this oft-forgotten concept forms the foundation for every positive customer experience.

Don't create more work for your customers. They're paying you to make a pain point go away—it won't seem that they've gotten their money's worth if they have to jump through hoops to get anything done.

Don't tout unnecessary benefits. A slew of new features won't excite a customer who doesn't need them; if you insist on discussing them, it'll start to feel like tiresome oversell. "Keep it simple," she says. "Fix their problem. Then stop. Then solve another one."

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