Good morning, everyone. OK Howard, let's see if I can work the technology.

I am Don Burrows, a member of Patrick Snow’s Author-Publisher Round Table and in Patrick’s absence at his upcoming July 17th meeting, will be a co-host.

Having just completed THE ANSWER by John Assaraf (he was featured in THE SECRET), I told Patrick about an interesting exercise Assaraf conducted with a client (a portrait photographer) to learn what his customers REALLY valued about his services.

The client thought they valued fast turnaround, low prices, and technical expertise. Turns out what they valued was his creativity with camera angles and lighting, and REALLY VALUED the clever ways he got their children to smile for the camera.

Assaraf said, “That single bit of market-research insight inspired him to come up with even more ways to serve his customers’ wants and distinguish himself from the competition.”

I thought that was pretty interesting, and suggested to Patrick that while he is out of town, we include the exercise in the July meeting, using him as the vendor, and then share the results in the August meeting.

He agreed.

If you have Assaraf’s book, the exercise questions begin on page 182.

These are the five questions Assaraf suggests you ask a representative cross-section of your customers. Patrick will answer them as well.

1. Why did you become our customer in the first place? Why do you do business with us?

2. What do you like most about our business?

3. Are there any other products or services you would like to see us offer?

4. If you could have anything you wanted from (The Snow Group), what would it be?

5. What do you like LEAST about our business?

So. If you are a client of Patrick’s and are coming to his Round Table on July 17th, you are invited to share your answers with us. I’ll compile them and we will debrief the results with Patrick at the August meeting.

It is my hope that this will be a beneficial exercise for all of us to use in our businesses. As Assaraf says, “…while you may THINK you know what your customers want, you probably don’t know them as well as you think.”

Thank you.

Don Burrows –

DIRECTIONS: Mosaic Coffee House in Wallingford. 4401 2nd Ave NE (between 44th St and 45th St.) Phone: 206.632.4563

As a resident of Marysville, I read your article with absolute longing. We have a Starbucks, the cafe section in Haggens and a coffee shop that comes complete with its own 30-foot high roaster. When the owner fires that thing up, my teeth rattle and conversation ceases. On the plus side, the coffee is delicious, the wifi is free, the staff is friendly, and four doors down is a new Herfy's with great fish-and-chips. But man, I do envy your cozy options.

Don Burrows -