Part II: Growing Customer Loyalty… and the Bottom Line!

Often, busy, multi-tasking, success-driven business owners build day-to-day procedures and norms that are internally focused. In other words, we build our businesses – from sales to service to billing – that are based on our business needs, norms and challenges, rather than the desires and behaviors of our customers. In the long term, this is a risky proposition. A cohesive growth strategy should be centered around a satisfying customer experience at all points of contact across the life of the customer relationship. What does this mean?

• What do you do to ensure an ongoing relationship, referrals and/or repeat sales?
  • Do you regularly touch base with customers with value-added information or just friendly check-ins?
  • Do you provide your most valuable customers with special offers and service levels?
  • Do you proactively and consultatively offer additional services based on customer needs?
• Put yourselves in your customers’ shoes and consider all the ways they connect with your company by phone, on your website and face-to-face. What are the possible “pain points”? How might these impact your success?
• Finally, what 3-5 things can each and every team member do daily address any issues you identify and provide the best customer experience possible? What can the company change on a longer-term basis?

Make this an “awareness-building/kumbaya/peace and joy” exercise. No finger pointing. If you recognize the hurdles and prioritize the changes you can build solutions and create forward momentum!