Good Morning
During introductions at one of the networking groups (HEB Power Networking, Wednesday 11:30 am Mexican Inn Cafe, Bedford, all are welcome to attend) I attend, one of the members said that some of his contacts at companies he does business with have left those companies. He went on to make a joke about it, but he brought up a very good point.
If you’re a business-to-business company, what do you do if your contact at one of your customers leaves to go elsewhere?
- Hopefully, they gave their replacement your name and information and recommended you.
- Hopefully, the new person does not already have a favorite vendor that does what you do.
- Hopefully, their boss knows about you and your company and wants to continue to use you.
- Hopefully, your contact gave you a heads up and maybe even introduced you to their replacement.
- Hopefully, hopefully, hopefully…
There is a way to counter the “hopefullys.” You can develop and implement at least a monthly stay-in-contact (non-sales message) program. This might be a monthly printed newsletter (not email, which studies show is less effective), postcards, white papers, greeting cards or interesting clippings. The point is that you want to stay top of mind.
Business-to-consumer companies, not to be left out, can do the same thing. True, your customers don’t leave the same way b-2-b people leave, but people do have things that happen in their lives and if you do not keep in touch with them they will forget about you and do business with someone else.
So what are you going to do? Continue to do business as usual or implement a system to keep your customers from leaving you?
I now offer a program that will make your past customers current customers again and keep you in touch with your current ones. Email me at Phil@TheFreedmanCompany.com about it.
Until next week,
Great Things Happen, But You Have To Take Action, NOW!
Philip FreedmanYour Doctor of Customer Retention
