Rewarding
Your Best Customers
We all have
specific
customers that we love to work with. They are genuinely friendly
towards us, they are interesting to talk to and, best
of all, they like to buy from us. Your best customers are the
ones who are most loyal. They see the value in your products or
services and provide you with the opportunity to bid on business
when it is available. They willingly speak to prospects who are
interested in a reference.
They write testimonial letters. Over the years, your best customers
are the ones who have stuck with you through thick and thin, even
when things weren’t perfect.
Since not all
customers are the same, they shouldn’t be treated the same way.
Your best customers should be treated in a different manner and
rewarded accordingly. When dealing with your best
customers, think about what you can do to reward them for their
loyalty and continued
business:
·
Strengthening the Relationship
– This is the easiest
thing you can do. Seek to continuously strengthen your relationship
with your customers. Get to really know them and understand them.
See them not as someone who buys your products or services but as
a friend. Take interest in their issue and how you can help them
do their job. When you take this approach, you’ll find that you’ll
make more qualified recommendations
throughout the sales process. The greater care that goes into the
recommendation phase of the sales cycle, the better chance you’ll
have of continued business.
·
Discounts and other “gimmies”
– We never advocate discounting just for the sake of
discounting. Discounting should be done logically. If you have a
customer who has bought
2000 units of Product X but never seems to buy Product Y, the next
time they place an order, send them a coupon for 10% off their first
order of Product Y. Or, send them a free case of product. What else
can you provide them to entice them to expand their purchases? Can
you provide them with priority shipping on certain items, just as
a way to show them they are a preferred
customer and not just one of thousands?
·
Build a System to Reward
Top Customers – Some companies have installed special
services available only to their best customers. For example,
a software company may set up a special toll-free support number
for their top 10 accounts in order to provide expedited customer
support. The value lies in not only making your biggest customers
happy but making sure they know what you are doing to treat them
in a special way.
·
Host a Special Event
– Some companies host
golf getaways, complimentary training
sessions that coincide with fun activities or other special
trips for their clients. These are great ways to schmooze customers
while promoting your firm.
What can you
do to reward your top customers? You can ignore our four suggestions
but what matters is coming up with your own. What can you do to
let them know they are different from other clients and deserve
special attention?
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