Creating Customer Who Love You

Often new business owners get so stuck on the elements that get the doors open and the GO (Grand Opening) marketing off the ground they forget the most important thing...

well...

Let me put it differently...they don't forget the customer they just forget how to set the table to create a relationship with them. The simplest way to create customers for awhile (we will get to customers for life later) is to make sure you appear to love what they love and care for what they care for...both within the doors of your business and outside of those doors.

To that end I would suggest four things to do in your strategic investment, your business, regardless of whether you are a franchise or other small business entity. If you are a franchise however you will really win because franchises are notorious for believing they are immune from these things.

Here they are:

So here are 4 things that entrepreneurs need to do more of right now!

[a] Give - as in determine how you can give in the area you distribute your goods and services. Often it means something as simple as providing knowledge and at least some of your time. This giving should start with your first line of customer your employees, (who may be worried about the company, their own jobs). They may be unclear how best to contribute.

Share your training with peers in your trade organizations, with customers and prospects - use blogs, newsletters or local opportunities to speak. You will realize that you are valued just for these actions. Giving is not only psychically fulfilling but is an investment in your own future that makes just plain good business. And on any given day, giving need not take more time than a longish lunch break!

[b] Reach out - This goes hand-in-hand with giving. Determine how you will get out in front of your prospects and customers on at least an ever other day basis. This means you—not just your marketing or sales person or team. Your clients and customers value the relationship if for nothing more than to say they know you personally. The silver lining in a downturn is that customers have time to talk. So reach out. You can start by calling on all those folks you haven't connected with in the last year. And remember you are not selling. You are connecting.

[c] Listen - having reached out, it is important to listen. You would be surprised at the insights that arise when we truly listen to our customers. Often customer themselves gain clarity when they talk and so many of our own assumptions get uncovered and prove to be baseless. I cannot tell you the number of customers whose business cards I printed never made the connection we also printed brochures, forms and stationary until we spoke, and I listened and then shared we could handle those tasks also. Having said that remember this also, listening requires both preparation and the ability to ask clarifying questions. As you learn to do both better you will retain higher and higher percentages of your customers.

[d] Simplify - this is a great time to simplify everything about your business and the positions within them. Simplify your products, your collateral, your sales pitch, your internal systems, your website - all of those things that have your signature on them. Make it easier for people to find you, to understand what it is you do, why you do it better and why buying from you and using your products is going to simplify your customers' own life and work. Simple is not easy - simple is hard! So the sooner you start the better.

In a downturn it's easy to batten down the hatches and focus on the numbers - which is important, but we are never going to dig ourselves out of a hole, let alone grow or thrive with just a defensive game. So it is important to stay the course with Giving, Reaching out, Listening & Simplifying (GRLS). While this sounds like a lot of work, it is the stuff that those who survive and thrive do to differentiate themselves from the rest! GRLS require passion, planning and perseverance but also create profits - but after all aren't these the very reasons you got into business in the first place?

John is a 26-year professional in the franchise industry. He has been a franchisee, a franchise executive and an advocate/consultant to the public and to dozens of franchise companies. He is the founder and managing partner of Wilson Associates. If you are looking for support and a proven consultant with expertise he can be reached at docfranchise@gmail.com.