Customer Loyalty: Don't Let the Honeymoon End!
Keep
"wooing" and "wowing" your customers to ensure their
loyalty.<=
o:p>
By
Laura Maver Ward
Customer loyalty is a critical key to your future succes=
s.
After the close of a sale, do your customers feel like the honeymoon has en=
ded?
If so, beware, because they may be ready to jump ship and shop with your
competition. In this breakthrough business strategies, you'll learn what is
important to customers after the close.
When
Is the Honeymoon Over?
The
honeymoon should never be over. Have you ever been in the situation where a
salesperson rolls out the red carpet to get your business? Many of us have =
been
there, and the bigger the sale, the longer the red carpet. But what happens=
all
too often after the sale? You, the customer, become just a number and that
beautiful red carpet magically disappears.
Frankly, I don't get it. Salespeople spend a great deal of time, money and
emotional energy to get your business. The sad thing is, everyone in the
company thinks—or perhaps they don't think—that "wowing&qu=
ot;
a customer is not necessary once the sale is closed. Everyone seems to forg=
et
that service after the sale is much more important than the red carpet
treatment before the sale.
That's where there is such a disconnect. The customer expects the honeymoon=
to
continue well beyond the close. Frankly, they expect to continue to receive=
the
red carpet treatment as long as they remain a customer.
What's
the Secret to Creating Loyal Customers?
Very
few companies really understand the fine art of creating loyal customers or
raving fans. Think of it in these terms: Emotional points of connection are
created every time a customer interacts with your business. Yes, every time=
! It
doesn't matter how or what the interaction is. The customer's perception ma=
kes
that connection positive or negative.
Let me share with you a personal experience that happened recently. I was
making a deposit to my business account. I have a number of accounts and in=
my
haste, I filled out the wrong deposit slip. I realized my mistake at the ba=
nk
window and asked the teller for a blank deposit slip and to look up my acco=
unt
number. I then explained that I needed a copy of the check with the deposit
slip for my records. The teller handed me the record of deposit, but not the
copy I requested. When I asked for the copy they had already made, a second
teller said: "Our bank doesn't allow us to make copies for our custome=
rs.
We won't be able to do this in the future."
Give me a break! It wasn't as if I was asking for a copy of my last will and
testament—a somewhat lengthy document. I asked for one copy that I mu=
st
have in my records. So how do you think I felt after that
"connection?" You're right, I was pretty disgusted.
What
Does a Customer Really Want?
To
build customer loyalty, you must know what the customer wants. Then you must
deliver what the customer wants. (In my case, I wanted to save time). Custo=
mers
want to be "wowed," not hassled. (I was feeling really hassled). =
They
want the red carpet rolled out for them, and to not feel like a number. (I =
felt
worse than a number, I felt chastised.)
Customers want to be treated with respect. (Did the teller even notice that=
I
have a lot of accounts at that bank?) A surefire way to lose a customer is =
to
treat them with disrespect. In fact, research shows that 96 percent of
customers find another place to do business after they have been treated
disrespectfully.
Finally, customers want a powerful point of connection and want to be able =
to
trust you. If he or she doesn't feel that emotional connection, guess what,
they'll go looking for love elsewhere.
Creating
and Measuring Customer Loyalty Will Help You Grow.
Rather
than continually looking to bring in new customers, figure out how you can =
get
your existing customers to buy more and buy more often. These same customers
will become your loyal customers and refer others to buy from you.
The amount of money you have to spend finding new customers will continue to
decrease the more you can convert your satisfied customers (those who buy
occasionally) to your loyal customers (those who buy often).
Whether you are a service company or sell products, it's important to calcu=
late
the cost to bring in a new client. Here's a hint: It's very expensive.
Typically, a business will spend four to five times more in advertising to =
gain
a new customer than they would if they focused on getting new business from=
an
existing customer. When you "wow" existing customers, you'll get =
free
advertising. Isn't that a great way to increase your bottom line?
The
Time for Change is Now!
Is your
company driven to create loyal, raving fans? If not, I imagine you are losi=
ng a
great deal. You are losing customers, revenues, profits, market share and
employees. And yes, it costs you a great deal.
It's never too late to turn things around. Why wait? Begin today to create a
culture where everyone in your business is committed to doing the very best
they can for each and every customer. Analyze each and every point of emoti=
onal
customer connection and make sure the connection is always a positive one. =
Hire
a business coach if you don't have the internal resources to manifest chang=
e.
Your raving fans will love you forever and the honeymoon will never end. Th=
at,
my friends, is your "breakthrough business strategy."
Laura Maver Ward=
is
President and Founder of Dovetail Business Advisors, Inc. (www.dovetailadvisors.com), a
mergers and acquisitions and business coaching and consulting firm. Dovetail
helps business owners run their business, so they can live today…and
retire tomorrow…in the style they want and deserve. She can be reache=
d at
816-448-3777 or breakthroughstrategies@dovetailadvisors.com.
Re-Print Permission
This article may be reprinted if the following conditions are =
met:
·
The article is reprinted in its entirety.
·
The complete tag with the author's name and contact informatio=
n is
included immediately after the article.
·
A copy of the printed article is mailed to the Laura Maver War=
d at
Dovetail Business Advisors, Inc.,
·
The article is presented in a positive light as part of an
appropriate business related publication.
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