--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most important thing here is to…" description: "\"The most important thing here is to largely ignore what customers say, and instead watch what they do or track where they spend money.\" — Scott D. Anthony" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/scott-d-anthony-6772_customers_the-most-important-thing-here-is-to-larg_158413.png" --- # The most important thing here is to largely ignore what… ![“The most important thing here is to largely ignore what customers say, and instead watch what they do or track where they spend money.” quote by Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/scott-d-anthony-6772_customers_the-most-important-thing-here-is-to-larg_158413.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/scott-d-anthony-6772_customers_the-most-important-thing-here-is-to-larg_158413.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88a/scott-d-anthony-6772_customers_the-most-important-thing-here-is-to-larg_158413.png) > “The most important thing here is to largely ignore what customers say, and instead watch what they do or track where they spend money.” [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The core idea is that observable behavior and spending reveal true preferences more reliably than verbal feedback. **In simple terms:** Actions speak louder than words about customers. Key Takeaway Prioritize data on customer actions over their statements. Themes customer insight behavioral data decision making marketing strategy Mood analytical pragmatic Type business strategic When to use this quote - product development - pricing strategy - advertising campaigns - user experience design Key Concepts behavioral economics data analytics customer journey Questions to Reflect On - How can you capture real purchase behavior accurately? - What signals indicate hidden customer needs? A Different Perspective Verbal feedback can still provide context but may be biased or incomplete. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Customers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customers/) [Ignore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignore/) [Ignore Customers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignore-customers-1744427/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-things/) [Instead Watch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instead-watch-775990/) [Largely Ignore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/largely-ignore-1744428/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Spend money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spend-money/) [Track](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/track/) [Track Spend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/track-spend-1744429/) [Watches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watches/) ## Related quotes > [Every U.S. president enters office promising stronger ties with our southern neighbors, only to thereupon largely ignore them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-p-m-barnett/every-u-s-president-enters-office-promising-stronger-ties-with-our/) [Thomas P.M. Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-p-m-barnett/) > [The business cannot ignore what customers are saying when the message is clear: We're not on our game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-easterbrook/the-business-cannot-ignore-what-customers-are-saying-when-the-message/) [Steve Easterbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-easterbrook/) > [My words hang in the air. I look to the screen, hoping to see them recording some wave of reconciliation going through the crowd.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/my-words-hang-in-the-air-i-look-to-the-screen-hoping-to-see-them/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Instead, I watch myself get shot on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/instead-i-watch-myself-get-shot-on-television/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > ['Serial Mom' tested really well when we finally got with the right audience. But they would go to some shopping mall in a deep,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/serial-mom-tested-really-well-when-we-finally-got-with-the-right/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [I mean, price is price. It's just where you want to spend your money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-walton/i-mean-price-is-price-it-s-just-where-you-want-to-spend-your-money/) [Rob Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-walton/) > [See I got em like 10 times, spend money got em like 10 times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/birdman/see-i-got-em-like-10-times-spend-money-got-em-like-10-times/) [Birdman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/birdman/) > [“It still feels weird to spend money on Christmas trees. 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The key…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-kluger/everybody-loves-to-spend-money-at-least-some-of-the-time-because/) [Jeffrey Kluger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-kluger/) > [That's the biggest rule in Hollywood: Don't spend your own money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauly-shore/that-s-the-biggest-rule-in-hollywood-don-t-spend-your-own-money/) [Pauly Shore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauly-shore/) > [“Any writer or journalist who wants to retain his integrity finds himself thwarted by the general drift of society rather than by active persecution.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/any-writer-or-journalist-who-wants-to-retain-his-integrity-finds/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“Capitalist cycle of profit. The rancher sells a cow for profit. The butcher sells cuts for profit. The restaurant sells meals for profit. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/capitalist-cycle-of-profit-the-rancher-sells-a-cow-for-profit-the/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Stop spending money to be nominated for worthless awards with no substance and no worth to your career. If you have to spend money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-weisman/stop-spending-money-to-be-nominated-for-worthless-awards-with-no/) [Loren Weisman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-weisman/) > [“Don't let someone spend money who never earned it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cole/don-t-let-someone-spend-money-who-never-earned-it/) [Nick Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cole/) ## More by Scott D. Anthony > [I think the most important thing to do is to recognize the fundamentally different circumstances of pursuing growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/i-think-the-most-important-thing-to-do-is-to-recognize-the/) [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) > [Document, evaluate, focus, test.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/document-evaluate-focus-test/) [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) > [It's very easy to skip steps when documenting an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/it-s-very-easy-to-skip-steps-when-documenting-an-idea/) [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) > [Every leader needs to watch what teenagers or startup companies - or startup companies headed by teenagers - are doing today, because many of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/every-leader-needs-to-watch-what-teenagers-or-startup-companies-or/) [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) > [In the strengthening the core job, a leader can draw on their past experiences. After all, in most cases they did the job of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/in-the-strengthening-the-core-job-a-leader-can-draw-on-their-past/) [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) > [If you are a large company and you want to do something unique, you almost by definition have to tap onto the core business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/if-you-are-a-large-company-and-you-want-to-do-something-unique-you/) [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) > [You still want to be thoughtful about what you do, no doubt, but you have to learn through trial-and-error experimentation as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/you-still-want-to-be-thoughtful-about-what-you-do-no-doubt-but-you/) [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) > [It takes a great deal of humility to recognize you have made a wrong turn on the road to successful innovation, but better to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/it-takes-a-great-deal-of-humility-to-recognize-you-have-made-a-wrong/) [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) > [“Creating a new business from scratch is hard, but executives of incumbents have the dual challenge of creating new businesses while simultaneously staving off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/creating-a-new-business-from-scratch-is-hard-but-executives-of/) [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) > [Make sure that you take the time to think about how other companies might respond to your idea, both those companies already in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/make-sure-that-you-take-the-time-to-think-about-how-other-companies/) [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) > [Aside from the equivalent of blowing up the lab or letting a pathogen escape, the only failure is spending too long or too much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/aside-from-the-equivalent-of-blowing-up-the-lab-or-letting-a-pathogen/) [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) > [Mucken Singh works VERY hard on his brawler's physique!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/mucken-singh-works-very-hard-on-his-brawler-s-physique/) [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) > [Most startup companies have two people, and they figure out creative ways to swarm problems. They move faster and have more impact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/most-startup-companies-have-two-people-and-they-figure-out-creative/) [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) > [Three of our core corporate values are inclusiveness, collaboration, and humility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/three-of-our-core-corporate-values-are-inclusiveness-collaboration/) [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) > [Creating the new increasingly is more than 50 percent of a top leader's job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/creating-the-new-increasingly-is-more-than-50-percent-of-a-top-leader/) [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) [Explore all 97 Scott D. Anthony quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) ## More Customers quotes > [The best way to hold customers is to constantly figure out how to give them more for less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kotler/the-best-way-to-hold-customers-is-to-constantly-figure-out-how-to/) [Philip Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kotler/) > [Corporations invest in sophisticated CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, programs to effectively oversee their relationship with their customers at every point during the buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/corporations-invest-in-sophisticated-crm-or-customer-relationship/) [Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/) > [One of the Internet's highest-profile companies, Priceline once dreamed of transforming the way consumer goods are bought and sold by offering customers the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/one-of-the-internet-s-highest-profile-companies-priceline-once/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [If we get better our customers will demand we get bigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-truett-cathy/if-we-get-better-our-customers-will-demand-we-get-bigger/) [S. Truett Cathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-truett-cathy/) > [Research is an organized method of trying to find out what you are going to do after you cannot do what you are doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kettering/research-is-an-organized-method-of-trying-to-find-out-what-you-are/) [Charles Kettering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kettering/) > [Without a customer, you don't have a business - all you have is a hobby.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-peppers/without-a-customer-you-don-t-have-a-business-all-you-have-is-a-hobby/) [Don Peppers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-peppers/) > [In open source, you really have to be near the watershed to have an impact on the source code. Customers want to be near…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-fenton/in-open-source-you-really-have-to-be-near-the-watershed-to-have-an/) [Peter Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-fenton/) > [Get a minimum viable product out there, test it out, see how customers respond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shira-goodman/get-a-minimum-viable-product-out-there-test-it-out-see-how-customers/) [Shira Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shira-goodman/) > [Tachyon OPC+ is a natural extension of our market-winning Tachyon platform, giving customers a clear path to minimizing the OPC error budget and producing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/tachyon-opc-is-a-natural-extension-of-our-market-winning-tachyon/) [Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/) > [I think technology advanced faster than anticipated. In that whirlwind, a lot of companies didn't survive. The reason we have done well is because,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/i-think-technology-advanced-faster-than-anticipated-in-that-whirlwind/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [In a very real sense, there are only two roles in organisations: customers and suppliers. Everybody functions simultaneously in both roles, whether inside or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/in-a-very-real-sense-there-are-only-two-roles-in-organisations/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [Why is Caterpillar bad if we create a new job in India or China to receive U.S. exports? It makes no sense to me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-r-oberhelman/why-is-caterpillar-bad-if-we-create-a-new-job-in-india-or-china-to/) [Douglas R. Oberhelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-r-oberhelman/) > [Enthusiastic service providers create enthusiastic customers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-kaufman/enthusiastic-service-providers-create-enthusiastic-customers/) [Ron Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-kaufman/) > [The more a prospective customer clicks on you and your stuff, the easier it is for them to make a buying decision in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gitomer/the-more-a-prospective-customer-clicks-on-you-and-your-stuff-the/) [Jeffrey Gitomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gitomer/) > [You have to treat your employees like your customers. When you treat them right they will treat your outside customers right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-kelleher/you-have-to-treat-your-employees-like-your-customers-when-you-treat/) [Herb Kelleher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-kelleher/) [Browse all 2,036 Customers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The most important thing here is to largely ignore what customers say, and instead watch what they do or track where they spend money.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Scott D. 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