Treat Your Customers Like Dogs
Customer Service as it ranks in the hierarchy of business skills has traditionally been thought of as a no-brainer. After all, everybody knows that it is not wise to bite the hand that feeds you. It seems every organization from San Diego to Bangor, Maine touts the highest level of service in the industry … if not the world.
But like many obvious and logical beliefs in business today, the general practitioner often becomes bogged down with daily minutiae at the cost of what’s good for them. Although everybody endorses the service policy, few truly understand the nature of the beast. In a me-too only bigger, faster, cheaper, nicer and prettier world, customer service has slowly become the true differentiator and a company’s #1 Sales Strategy.
The good news is that the competitive window is “open” for you to become truly exceptional at what you do. And it starts with the way you commit to servicing your customers. Here are five tips to help you get your team back in the game and putting some substance back in your “lip-service.”
1. Remember at all times that your customer is your competitor’s prospect. This simple reminder is “huge.” In most instances, more energy is expended toward acquiring new accounts than it is for maintaining current relationships. Don’t make this mistake. Cement meaningful relationships…now…today. Then and only then, can you begin marketing for new business.
2. Contact the people who are meaningful to you and your business regularly. When you are out of sight, you are out of mind. At this moment, you are out of sight. What are you planning to do about it? Here lies the challenge. Become too visible and you become a nuisance. Slide off the radar screen and you become a non-entity. How often is just right? Only your customer can answer that. Find out.
3. Focus on the little things. We don’t need Las Vegas theatrics to impress people these days. Most people have done and seen just about all there is to do and see … thanks to television, the Internet, technology in genera and Disney World. What grabs people by the collar and shakes them out of their ambivalent state are the small courtesies that clearly indicate their importance. Perform small courtesies … daily. Let your prospects and customers know that you care.
4. Do what you say you will do. This should not be difficult as long as you speak the truth and keep things real. Customers do not expect the impossible. They expect the truth. More than ever, customers are looking for people they can trust and believe.
5. Realize with your entire intelligent being that you can’t be all things to all people. Identify your ideal prospect and good-customer’s profile. Then make “profiling” an acceptable practice. You can’t afford to spend time and energy on prospects and customers who are not qualified to contribute to your eating habits. This is not a bad thing. This is a “key to your survival” thing. With the clock still maxing out at 24 hours a day, start allocating more of your precious time to the people you can help.
Mike Marchev is a seasoned travel veteran and entertaining motivational speaker who writes like he talks. (The jury is still out whether this is good or bad.) Author of the book “Become The Exception” and Publisher of the “More-On Series” of business development books, Mike has spoken in 18 countries and is always constantly looking for his next “gig.” You can learn more about his Inner-Circle Sales and Marketing Club at www.mikemarchev.com Click on Inner Circle.