Some companies really do "get it" in our business and some just don't. Neil Golden, the chief marketing officer for McDonald’s in the United States, shared last fall how the company uses the internet to engage with its customers.

His simple and accurate statement here should boil it all down to something that every restaurant in America can understand. Go where the crowds are and where the consumers are, do not expect them to come to you until they are ready.

Recently I heard that a few restaurants were waiting for customers and essentially waiting themselves out of business. Let's wake up here and move the needle forward people. When it comes to understanding consumers no one does it better the Golden Arches, take the lead and apply this to your business in three simple steps.

1) Get your social web staked out now

2) Get you current customers and your employees talking about that and your product.

3) Tell a compelling story and people will engage

I know its a lot harder than it may seem but every thing you do in business is supposed to be hard, otherwise we would have twice the competition we have now. Hard is good . . its separates the weak at heart and makes a successful business person shine when they do it right!