I have to laugh at some of these so-called "reality shows." Most of them are so scripted it's hard to believe they can get away with calling them "reality." The majority of them seem to be designed to highlight the darker side of human nature--lots of bickering and back-stabbing going on, but very little takeaway value.

One show I do enjoy is The Apprentice. As a former New Yorker, I think it's funny to see Donald Trump on TV, all pompous and arrogant, trying to find the perfect job applicant to help him run one of his many companies. Whether you like him or not, there's no arguing with the fact that this man knows what it takes to succeed in business.

In one episode last season, "The Donald's" two teams of candidates were assigned the task of renovating and furnishing the playroom of a recreation center for underprivileged children. Each team's design would be judged by the company sponsor funding the centers.

One team did extremely well because they targeted their efforts at creating a room that pleased the judges. The other team lost because, although the children loved their room, the design didn't hit the mark with the judges. According to Mr. Trump, the losing team failed because they didn't connect with their target customer--which was the sponsoring company, not the children.

At first I didn't agree with Mr. Trump's decision, but in the end, I had to admit that he was correct. The end user in this case--the children--were not the customer. The target market was the people who had contracted for the work to be done.

This is an important point to keep in mind when you're promoting your products or services.

For many businesses, the general public is the target market, but in some cases, the customer might be a company, not the end users or clients who buy from that company. For example, if you're a freelance commercial writer, your customers will generally be businesses who hire you to write their advertising or white papers. Your job is to please them, not win literary awards, which might mean writing copy that doesn't necessarily thrill you, but makes the customer happy.

Sometimes the customer will ask you to produce something in a particular way, which you might not agree with, but it's the smart businessperson who delivers what the customer asks for. After all, they are the customer, and you're in business to serve them.

Obviously this doesn't mean violating your own ethics; you can always turn down their offer of work if it conflicts with your own morals or personal standards. The key is to sit down with your clients before you begin a project and find out precisely what their desires and requirements are. You can:

• Ask questions and listen carefully to find out what's important to them.
• Take notes highlighting the points they make.
• Repeat to them, in your own words, your understanding of the project parameters.
• Make suggestions about how you think the task will best be managed.
• Encourage their feedback on your ideas to make sure you're on the same page.

Whenever possible, take the time to assess exactly what your customers want and need so you can gauge your ability and willingness to fulfill their orders, according to their specifications. Happy customers are repeat customers, and connecting with them is what business success is all about.