With
customers and relationships the question is: what had you done for
me lately?
Good
customers are approached often by other providers or discover
interesting offerings on the internet. Good relationships are fouled
by lack of attention. Thus the spoken or implied questions about
what's recent.
I
heard a story about an individual who hired into the lead sales
position of a software organization with a 'huge book of business.'
First priority on her mind was to personally contact all the major
accounts to say hello. Shocked, she was, to learn that over 60% of
these accounts had not heard from her new firm since the initial sale
and more than half of these accounts has switched to different
software.
This
situation, more or less, is entirely too common in business.
Study
after study shows the vast difference in resources to acquire rather
than maintain customers. But a significant portion of managers (and
to be fair, the sales staff too) press for acquisition over
retention.
Why
don't we ask the question: What have I done
for You lately? and devote more time to our
real customers.
Make
contact – give something of value – demonstrate that a
relationship does exist – show that you care!
This
can be as simple as forwarding an article, document, or link to a
blog which speaks to a known area of interest. It can be dynamic –
checking in after x months to see how your product or service is
meeting their needs – or even soliciting what features would make
it meet their needs more broadly or deeply. Or it can be information
about how other customers are using minor or undocumented features
and other user-derived 'enhancements' for significant benefit.
Whatever
you choose, make
the contact with your customer worthwhile from their
viewpoint. Keep in mind they are busy and not as focused on your
products and services as you are. Always
give value in every interaction with a customer.
Conversation and caring works for relationships as well.
It
can change the conversation to that's what you've done for
me lately! Music to our ears!
Your
thoughts?
This
is the topic for the next Rainmaker – a 300 second presentation
before the featured speaker at the CTMH meeting. Join us February
22nd
for
Sales
Lab’s Rainmaker 12 - What
Have I Done for You Lately? at
the Capital
Technology Management Hub on
Wednesday, February 22nd.
The featured CTMH speaker will be
Sean
Crowley on
the topic of The Open
Source Web Content
Management
Platform, Drupal, and its Momentum. Get
details here.