Customer Relationship Management: A 60 Day Plan

Most sales professionals drop the ball when it comes to recognizing and appreciating their clients. Once the sale is made they move on to “better pastures”. Yet, how you treat your client especially during the first 60 days determines whether you have a client who is a just a satisfied client or is a loyal advocate who will go out of their way to send business your way.

Why not use this natural tendency of others to slack off to separate yourself from your competition? Why not use this tendency to turn your clients into enthusiastic supporters who talk to their friends about the special attention they’re getting from you.

It goes without saying that you must be excellent at what you do and deliver what you promise, otherwise no amount of customer recognition or appreciation will turn a client into a friend.

Use a system

Here is a simple, inexpensive, easy-to-implement system for establishing a powerful relationship with virtually any new client. It’s designed to turn them into an enthusiastic supporter who continuously tells their friends and associates how great you are.

• Immediately send a card to your client thanking him for the trust and confidence he placed in you when he became a customer. Don’t underestimate the power of a personal card. It doesn’t take long to do it, and it makes a big impact.

• If you have an assistant, have them call to welcome your new client and introduce themselves. This shows that your whole team is ready to serve.

• Call your client within 3 days to personally thank them again and see if they have any questions or need any assistance. On this call tell them you’d like to spend a half-hour or so getting to know them better so that you may be able to refer business to them (or help them reach their goals). Schedule either a phone call or a meeting over coffee. Try to schedule it the next week. This shows that you really care and can have a powerful impact.

• When you meet, either by phone or in person, focus on their needs, desires, dreams and goals. Ask questions about them. Get to know how you can help them. If you have not done so yet, get family information and birthdays. Make a friend.TIP: Be sure to write down everything you learn about your new client. Use this information during your future interactions, always focusing on their goals.

After your meeting

• Use the Internet to find an article, web site or other resources that can help your client. Email this to them with a short note. Send a card letting them know how nice it was meeting with them.

• Schedule a birthday card to go out a week before the birthdays that you’ve gathered. You did get your client and their family’s birthday? Be creative; if the client has a small boy, send him a card from your dog rather than yourself. These should be real cards, the kind your client can touch and feel, not e-cards. They should also include a personal note.One way to do this is to buy the cards on your way home from the meeting, address them, stamp them and put them in a tickler file. Then on the day you send them include a personal note and mail it.
• About a week after your meeting send a follow-up thank you. Include a brief note telling why you’re glad he is your client. You may want to include a gift card – I often use a $5 Starbucks card. Note: If you’re in an industry such as Real Estate where an after the sale gift is standard procedure, this should be in addition to that gift.

NOTE: I use an automated system that sends these cards out for me. It’s a powerful system that lets me send a greeting cards, gifts, books and more using the internet and my computer. This is a great time saver. Plus it does away with my need for a paper based tickler since it has a built in reminder system and campaign manager. If you’d like to learn more about this tool send me an email with your phone number or better yet use the contact form on this site.

During the next month or two be sure your name is in front of your client at least twice each month, then aim for once a month. I use a pre-scheduled greeting card campaign and mix in a few phone calls.  If you have a newsletter this is a great way to keep in front of your client continuously.

Suggestions for keeping in front of your client

• Check the Internet for articles or resources of interest to your client. If I find a number of sources, I save them and then drip them on my client. Too much information all at once can be a burden rather then a help.

• Keep your eyes out for anything of interest to your new client; books, web sites or other offline resources. For example, say your client likes Italian food and you learn of a new restaurant. Give them a call and tell them about it, or email them.

• The point is, you want to stay in front of your clients in ways that provide value to them and at the same show that you recognize and appreciate the contribution they make to your success.  Do this and they will enthusiastically look for people to send your way.

I hope the information presented in this article is helpful to you and that you’ll take action to apply these ideas in your life immediately.

Please add your comments, suggestions and ideas about the concepts presented, share your knowledge, together we can all prosper. As always if I can help you, feel free to contact me

If you found this article helpful, please share it.