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Harness the Power at Every Interaction

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1. Forward
2. In the News
   Fashioning a True Relations Orientated Business
3. Strategic Relations Tip for Today
   Be Flexible With Your Customer Interactions
4. Shameless Self Promotion

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Forward

Every time an employee, product, or any part of your company touches a customer it shapes their experience with your organization. To build strong business relationships, you must harness this power and create the experience your customer's desire.

In this issue, you will learn how to harness customer interactions and build a more relationship-oriented business with strategic relations. This form of strategic relations uses business process to improve customer experience and in turn your profits.

Enjoy.

Sincerely,

Justin Hitt
Strategic Relations Consultant, Author & Speaker
https://iunctura.com/

Defining Terms

interaction (n.)

1. The act or process of interacting.
2. The state of undergoing interaction.
2. Mutual or reciprocal action or influence; as, the interaction of an individual and a product on each other.

point (n.)

1. A specified degree, condition, or limit, as in a scale or course: point of sale.
2. An objective or purpose to be reached or achieved, or one that is worth reaching or achieving.
3. A single unit, as in counting, rating, or measuring.

See also: Customer Interaction Point, Customer.

In the News

Fashioning a True Relationship Oriented Business

It seems Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software developers can show you how to build a relationship-based business, if you just install their software. Business relationships do not come in a box; they created over time by the orientation of your actions towards that purpose -- again, not by the software you choose.

Siebel is probably the most consistent promoter of this idea that software can make a business. In Building a Relations Business with Siebel (by Linda Formichelli, TechTarget.com) the product is presented as a win-all to improving the connection between customer and company. It is true Siebel is powerful enough to enable Home Shopping Network (HSN) track customer interactions, but it is what you do at that point that builds a relationship.

A relationship-oriented business makes the most of ever customer interaction by:

• Making every customer interaction pleasant and constructive to the objectives of the customer;
• Educating each customer in the use of a product or service to generate the greatest return on investment or solve a specific problem the customer faces;
• Offering something that a customer would perceive as valuable, it could include an up sell to a more suitable product, or accessories that extend product usage;
• Measuring the specific needs that contributed to each point of interaction and mapping them against each customer expectation at that time. Anticipate customers’ desires by documenting business communications.

In order to become a more relationship-oriented business, your organization must utilize processes that enhance your customers experience, employee satisfaction, and flexible vendor relations. Nevertheless, what does this all mean to you?

• A relationship-oriented business creates feedback loops that continually monitor, adjust, and shape customer interactions.
• Employees with new ideas for improving the customer experience receive resources to test their idea against the current designated process.
• You map and measure each business process to better understand what you are doing today, and make solid efforts for improving tomorrow.
• You clearly define cause and effect within the scope of your business objectives. You create the desired effect only when causes lead towards those purposes.
• Negative relationships are removed from a relationship-oriented business not by isolation, but by reorientation. Send those customers who will not be fully served by your organization to someone else who can help.
• You understand that software does not define your processes, but the processes define your software. Choose information management tools flexible enough to support all areas of customer interaction with relevant information.
• You make decisions on available facts and adjust them as critical information becomes clearer through testing. A relationship-oriented business is not afraid of making mistakes it can measure.
• Processes become the conduit to which a product is channeled to a customer who desires it. Marketing, Sales, and Service become the intermediary between your corporation and solving problems for the customer.
• A relationship-oriented business understands some customers are worth more than others are, but never treats any customer less than what they expect.
• Profits are the enablers that allows flexibility in customer interactions, stay close to the money in developing feedback. Those most profitable customers should govern your changes.

Have you seen a news story that I may find interesting as it pertains to strategic relations? Does your company have a story about results with strategic relations? I'd like to hear about it. Email me at feedback-newsletter

Strategic Relations Tip for Today

Be Flexible With Your Customer Interactions

When interacting with customers, consider their own perspective for preference over your own. You can learn about your customer’s communications preferences by asking, offering options, and providing. Ask what they want (or what suits them best), then offer various options, and finally provide what they request.

Sometimes customers do not know what they want so offering various options expanding their idea of what is available. When trying new methods of reaching or interacting with your customers -- do not change what you currently do, but provide additional options for them to consider. Bottom line; Make it easy for your customers to interact with you.

Share the most important relationships building lesson you've learned in your career; or, the best lesson you've learned reading this newsletter. Email your tip to tiptoday-newsletter

Shameless Self Promotion

What Would You Do With Hands-On Assistance In Obtaining New Customers?

If you want more customers, Justin Hitt is available for targeted business development campaigns, program development, and can bring you the tools you need to improve your profit position.

Just fax a list of your top five most desired accounts -- those businesses you would like to do business with, but just have not made it through the door. You have nothing to lose, and you will receive by return mail a custom strategy guide with tips you can use to convert at least three of these accounts in the next 6 months.

How much would this new business be worth to you?

Include your name and full contact information, plus the same for those target accounts and fax to +1 (877) 207-3798 -- in addition, describe the product or service you feel each of these accounts need most, and what is the biggest benefit they will receive.

In the return package, you will also receive two self-assessments: a) product series development, and b) marketing collateral and strategy assessment. These assessments will improve your understanding of specifically what can be done to crack these tough accounts.

Let me demonstrate to you the power of strategic relations, give me a shot at bringing you five of the most desirable customers you could ever want. Only the first 15 people to respond will receive this special offer.

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