Relationship marketing is not a new concept. In fact, it’s so old you might wonder why I’m dedicating a column to it. The reason is, it’s so old it’s almost dead – which creates the perfect opportunity for us to resuscitate it while the competition isn’t looking.
You must first know who your top 25 clients are, and make certain they are getting the level of attention and service they deserve. At my company, a select few clients generate more than half of our revenue. Our success depends upon them – I personally know who they are and I make sure they personally know who I am. Perhaps just as important, my entire staff knows who our top clients are. This ensures they always receive top treatment from all of us, whether it’s from our landscapers, our work crews or our receptionist. We want our top clients to remain our top clients, and for them in turn to recommend our services to their family, friends, and neighbors. Most people tend to live near and socialize with others whose financial means – and material desires – are much like their own. Your top clients can become both your friends and your best salespeople if you treat them right.
So identify your top 25 clients and then try to think of three things you can do for them to distinguish your dedication to them. Here are some tactics that have worked for me:
- Invite them to a sporting event and a reception before or after.
- Take them golfing.
- Mow their lawn for free while they are on vacation.
- Stop by out of the blue and say hello.
- Drop off a watermelon around the Fourth of July, or a pumpkin at Halloween, or a wreath at Christmas or flowers any time of the year and include a hand-written thank-you note for their having chosen your company.
- Call to check in at least once a month.
- Treat them to lunch.
- Set up a time to meet with them at their house and ask them three questions: What should we keep doing? Stop doing? Start doing?
- Plant some bulbs next fall in their beds and send them a note in the spring telling them to watch for the little surprise you planted for them.
- Invite them to your office for a party, then have your whole staff there to greet them and have lunch with them. Make sure your entire team thanks them for their business – something your team should do whenever they see clients.
Now that I’ve shared with you some ideas, you need to put a plan in place. Take out your calendar and make it a goal to do two things for your top 25 clients in 2006. That’s 50 things you have to do – or one per week with two weeks off. Each week, put down a client’s name and what you’re going to do for him or her. Don’t put it off. Do it right now while it’s still fresh in your mind. If you execute a plan like this, your clients will be impressed. They will think twice before giving their business to the competition, and it’s likely they will tell their friends about what you’ve done for them. Why? Because friends buy from friends, and friends trust friends to go the extra mile for them.
Lastly, never underestimate the power of a thank you. When people feel appreciated, they will remain loyal to you. To practice what I preach, I want to take this occasion to thank you for taking the time to read my column. I hope it proves as useful to you as it is interesting to me to write. Now go get that calendar out and come up with a plan that will show your clients how much you appreciate them.