Don’t take your Customers for Granted.

The last two years have wreaked havoc across almost every market segment.  Sales have plunged, customers have disappeared and prices have been driven down by desperate competitors.  Most companies have been forced to retrench, rethink and reinvent how they do business. The ones that have survived have learned to reduce their costs, operate at new margin levels and find creative ways to do more work with fewer employees.

Are you Jumping into the New Customer Frenzy?

Everyone is talking about it…  The buzz is all about aggressively acquiring new customers!

• Newly created positions in New Business development
• Advertisements seeking Hunters rather than Farmers
• Newly minted commission plans increasing rewards for new business

Without a doubt the focus is on acquiring new customers.  Its dynamic, it’s exciting and when you land one its exhilarating.  A new customer, new market share, great rewards and the beginning of a new exciting relationship!

Be Very Careful…

The big mistake is forgetting about your current, stable, long-term, loyal customers.  You need to keep supporting the customers that have supported you for years – through the good and the bad.  The customers that built your business, that grew with you and stuck with you when you let them down.

In fact, the real growth opportunity lies in making an effort to put a renewed focus on your strong loyal base of current customers.  Don’t spend all your time trying to impress the customers you don’t have – spend a little more time trying to impress the customers that chose to work with you.  Focus on improving their experience and thank them for working with you.  I bet that you can grow profitable sales faster by asking for new business from current customers than acquiring new accounts from your competitors.

One Last Word

The business world is moving at such a breakneck pace these days we seldom take the time to pause and say thank you to the customers and employees that support our business every day.  With all the internet and email clutter, how can anyone effectively say thank you? 

Let me reintroduce two very effective ways to say ‘ thank you’ to your customers.

1. Pick up the telephone (land line preferable) and say… thank you.
2. Take the time to write, stamp and mail a personal thank you note as often as possible.

You will be amazed how many customers will actually thank you for making the effort to thank them for their business.

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