In my column series 'The Main Thing ' I often talk about how Internet technology can improve the way people communicate - both within a business and between a business and its customers and partners.

Use state-of-the-heart technology online and offline to turn listeners into viral advocates and customers into raving fans.

So if you're a customer today the same person who came in to demonstrate the technology for you and helped you architect the solution before you bought it is likely going to be leading the team to help you do the implementation.

What new technology does is create new opportunities to do a job that customers want done.

All business success rests on something labeled a sale which at least momentarily weds company and customer.

Through their own actions customers can hold companies responsible to higher standards of social responsibility. Through collective action they can leverage their dollars to combat the force of those investors who myopically pursue profits at the expense of the rest of society.

Favored Nations is a long-term commitment. Our hope is that those who are passionate about real musicianship will want to hear and own most of our albums. We will set out to attain the same direct relationship with our customers that we have with our artists.

Corporations invest in sophisticated CRM or Customer Relationship Management programs to effectively oversee their relationship with their customers at every point during the buying process.

It is so much easier to be nice to be respectful to put yourself in your customers' shoes and try to understand how you might help them before they ask for help than it is to try to mend a broken customer relationship.

Anyone working for a big company might be skeptical that a large business or even a strictly online business can form the same kind of friendly loyal relationship with customers as a local retailer. I'm saying it's already been done because I lived it.