Ralph Waldo Emerson is credited with the phrase, "Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door."

Of course, most businesses don't have much experience of their customers beating a path to their door; it's usually more a case of fighting for business in a competitive market.

Nevertheless, Emerson's saying does have a grain of truth in it. The idea is that solving your customers' problems makes your services more desirable.

This is so obvious, it's strange that more businesses don't focus on it. So many businesses talk about the features of their products, or the detail of their services. Many corporate websites are over-burdened with useless facts. Because, as a top salesman once said, people aren't interested in your stuff – they're only interested in what you can do for them.

Solving problems might be done through a single quick fix, such as a better mousetrap. More likely, though, customers' problems are ongoing. They will have a series of problems, perhaps a constant stream of them. If you can make their life easier, you have a good chance of selling to them regularly.

Here are five ideas to help bring that about.

1.Become a resource to your clients: someone they can depend on as much, if not more so, than if you actually worked for them as an employee.
2.Offer consistent service. Clients want to know that they will get the same level of service every time. This takes the doubt out of the relationship.
3.Go the extra mile. Even if your client asks for something that seems impossible, try and deliver it. Many people are resigned to receiving indifferent or disappointing service from many sources. If you can get them out of a hole or help them meet a tight deadline, they’re likely to come back for more.
4.Build relationships. Good relationships are based on trust. If you always deliver, your clients will come to depend on you.
5.Communicate. Effective communication is vital if clients are to understand what your products or services will do for them.