How did you attract and court that special someone in your life? How do you work on your relationship now?

They are the same principles you need to apply to business in order to attract and keep customers to grow your business.

First: You have to get noticed. Perhaps it’s time to do some online dating to be seen and to look good. How about posting some pictures online of yourself on Instagram and Facebook. Include some captions that show off your value to customers; your values and personality. Most important, tell the business world what you or your business can do for them. Include some call to action that gets you to hook up.

For example:
Some kind of introductory short-term offer. Perhaps a free workshop or a very helpful report on something they weren’t aware of that would improve their lives or business. How about letting them try you on a bit with a free sample of some kind. Maybe offer a loss leader product at a teaser rate for new customers. Even the old free needs analysis idea or a complimentary consultation might work in attracting some prospects. If you sell an online offer, a first-time free overnight shipping or a discount coupon.  All these strategies work for some companies much of the time. The idea is to engage the prospect. Show them you are helpful and reputable and ask for a date.

What is your call to action? Do you need to try something else?

Customers go where others have already been. So make sure you have special people i.e.: experts, influencers, bloggers, journalists trying your product or service and give you reviews. And of course, ask for reviews from all customers and make it simple for customers to give them.

Now for the first date. It’s very important that internal and external sales and customer support people build an evidence file that contains letters from customers or reports that show that you do what you say you do, and that you get tangible results. What works is having charts and graphs that show how you helped customers. A classical outline for a testimonial letter or report is to begin by describing the clients issue; what you did and what improved for your customers. Make the results tangible. Listen for and trend the various types of issues customers have had and the results you get from helping them and make sure you have reports for each issue. You can use these tools to get attention by showing prospects that based on facts from other customers you could help them. What is most important is to be clear on how you can specifically help your date and prove it. To do that you need to engage the prospect in specific questions around the trending issues and to quantify their specific needs, then after listening, prove that you can help them using the reports as evidence. Then make a personalized chart of potential results that will be achieved if they work with and buy from you. It will most likely do the trick.

Keeping the relationship strong is an incredible job today. It takes concentrated relevant work to keep the relationship valuable. You can be relevant by your constant study of what your customers are going through, then to keep providing relevant answers; advice and your products and services. Your customers do want to hear from you but not pestered. Get their permission to send your emails; newsletters, texts or social media. Heavens, to bid, you may have to actually call or see them as well.

Keep track of the relationship interactions, not just the orders with a good CRM so you can then continue to personalize your offers. Always handle complaints immediately.

Remember they’re not interested in you or your products. They are mainly interested in themselves and their issues and aspirations. So help them with it all.  As extra value, help them with their jobs and internal issues. Be genuinely interested in them; talk in terms of their interests – not yours and make them feel important. Sounds like a good relationship.

Your mantra might be: “Be relevant and valuable always”.

Have a great week!

Kevin D. Crone
Chairman
Dale Carnegie Business Group
kdcrone@dalecarnegie.ca
(905) 826-7300

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