Immediate Impact for Customer Relationships

Are you looking for a powerful way to differentiate your store from others? Identify and begin to build strong ongoing relationships. Think about this – when was the last time the manager of the local big box store you shopped at gave you a phone call to personally tell you thank you. I’m going to go out on a limb and say – never – I’ve never had one call me.

Action Items for Immediate Impact:

  1. In the next seven days create your list of 20-50 people and call them.
  2. If you don’t get a hold of the 20-50 people on the phone send a handwritten note not email. Believe it or not handwritten notes get noticed and go a long way.
  3. Identify two to three influential organizations or media outlets in your area to begin building a relationship with.

Begin today – start now – you have the ability and agility to out maneuver and out serve the “big boys”.

How are you building relationships with your most important customers?

Everyday Relationship Management

This practice of deliberate relationship management isn’t about false sincerity, people can spot that a mile away, it’s about connecting with the people who support you and have linked up with you and your business. So, make it a priority to CALL, NOT EMAIL 20 to 50 people in the next five days. After this pick a time at the end or beginning of the year and begin a tradition of connecting with those very important people in your business. Thank them for their support and let them know how much your appreciate them and that you are looking forward to strengthening your relationship with them in the coming year.

As a manager of a couple of different Christian retail stores I took a similar approach as Tom Peters. I focused on pastors, Christian and non Christian radio stations, Para-church ministry’s, newspapers and Christian television stations. I would set aside time each month, one or two days to call and connect with the pastor’s who regularly shopped in my store. I wasn’t calling to sell them anything, just calling to ask them how THEY were doing how were things at their church and if there was anything I could do for them. In addition to calling them I would make it a point to attend seminars, conferences, concerts and other special events at these same pastor’s churches throughout the year, I wanted them to know I supported them and was there for them.