However, if you are making these mistakes in your customer loyalty program then you are sending your competition a supply of qualified buyers. Today's lesson provides a check list that every sales and marketing person on your team should print out and carry with them.
I can't help but wonder how much revenue your company is leaving on the table if they are making just 3 of these mistakes. What's worse is that some sales and marketing managers, business owners, or executives have the right plan in place, but employees just aren't following it.
That's why . . . in the next lesson you discover how to help employees embrace customer satisfaction as part of company culture.
Have you shared this newsletter with other sales and marketing managers, selling professionals, and executives who want to build profitable business relationships? If not, why not? Your comments about how I can improve this newsletter are always welcome.
Until next time . . .
Yours sincerely,
Justin Hitt
+1 (877) 207-3798
Ps. Revealed. How business to business sales and marketing management create and keep profitable customers, increase customer loyalty, even get a greater return on investment. Learn more at https://www.justinhitt.com/advisory/index.html
What You're Doing That Destroys Customer Loyalty, Inviting Your Competition To Steal Customers From You Now
If you're making these mistakes in your customer loyalty program you could be sending customers directly to your competitors. Just making a few of these mistakes creates dissatisfaction making it easy for customers to be stolen from you. Use this checklist to improve customer loyalty:
Not following up regularly. How many times do you follow up with a customer after your initial contact? For most, sales people give up after two tries. Use the Lead Qualification Funnel Method to touch qualified buyers 26, even 48 times a year. If each contact provides value, you'll stay top of mind with buyers.
Not setting buyer expectations. How are you preparing customers to interact with your company from sales to service? Often customers are disappointed with vendors because they didn't get what they expected, you can improve their satisfaction by constructing a realistic set of expectations for their experience with you. While you will predefine the steps in a buying process, be flexible to work with each buyers own desires.
Ignoring customer after the sale. How often do you make sure the customer is happy after a sale? Too many industrial and professional services firms and sales people move along to the next opportunity instead of cultivating the new customer relationship when it's fresh. Everything you do after the sale is designed to retain the customer and build a level of satisfaction that reinforces their decision to buy from you.
Forgetting to say "Thank You". Are your sales people always saying thank you for new opportunities? You can't say "Thank You" enough, using a hand written note is highly recommended. When your customers know their business is appreciated, they are less likely to consider other vendors in your same area.
Forgetting who pays the bills. Do you sometimes see customers as a burden? Employees at all levels are often annoyed by customer requested; they are forgetting who really writes their paycheck. Build customer service procedures that quickly channel and address customer problems. Always treat customers like a welcome guest.
Not living up to promises. How do you under promise and over deliver? Unfortunately some sales people stretch the capability of products to make a sale, this leads to customer disappointment. Make an effort to under promise, then use social proof to build a case for highly likely results.
Waiting too long for the second offer. How many days go by between the first sale and a second offer to new customers? Customers are "hot" when they make a purchase; this is the opportune time to offer them something else they want. Always keep customers interests in mind, find out what else they want, and don't wait to offer it to them.
Not providing an experience. How have you made working with you better than any other company in your market? Business-to-business buyers live in a boring mundane world, if you make them excited about doing business with you, they will continue to choose you. Bond with customers outside the framework of your solutions by making work with you exciting.
No reason to do business a second time. Which reasons do customers use to justify purchasing from you twice? Constantly remind customers why others have continued to do business with you year after year. Use testimonials, interesting case studies, social events, and other interactive engagements to share reasons to choose you again. Give customers a reason to come back.
No system for referrals. How do you currently collect referrals? Most firms don't have a referral system designed to turn every customer into two. When customers refer others, they can't just leave you because it would invalidate their original recommendation. This is the easiest way to grow your customer base.
It costs less to keep the customers you have rather than have to take them back from a competitor. Go through your sales and marketing processes to make sure you are doing these things regularly. Doing all these strategies puts a force field around your customers protecting them from predatory competitors.
