by Jason Davis on Saturday, January 8th, 2011 | 1 Comment »

A few weeks ago, I tried a great new spot in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood – The Citizen Public House and Oyster Bar.  And then I went back…

It’s a great spot for after work – excellent bartending staff, a great selection of beers, a better selection of whiskeys, and wine on tap.  (Yes I said it, wine on tap).  I haven’t tried the food, but that looks delicious too and I am sure I will be back to give the menu a shot.

I’m pretty loyal to my usual spots, and around Fenway that means the Cask N’ Flagon, The Baseball Tavern, and Remy’s.  But someone was raving about the Citizen Public House, so I gave it a shot.

Business is like that too.  Companies have their ‘usual spots’, but they come in the form of vendors and products.  You don’t just get on that list because you open up shop.  You get on their list by delivering in a way that makes people that your clients already trust rave about your company.

The trust component is critical here.  Ads in the Improper Bostonian do very little to close the trust gap enough to get a client to choose you over an incumbent provider.  Your focus should be on creating relationships, not selling, and anything less than an intense focus on exceeding expectations for clients you are working for (or selling your product to) is a huge mistake, because they are your best brand advocates.

Check out the Citizen Public House on Twitter and Facebook.

(Disclaimer that I shoudn’t even write but feel obligated to: The Citizen Public House did not compensate me for this post.  In fact, they have no idea who I am.  If, by chance, they offer me a free beer though, I will take it, and I will not share it with you)