The Birds and Bees, Pt. 2

Yesterday we blogged that sales is a lot like dating. We further propose—no pun intended—that customer retention is a lot like marriage.

It’s common sense that a relationship can’t survive if you put in “bare minimum” effort to keep it going. Even after the nuptials, a little wining and dining is still much needed.

So goes customer retention. Do you really expect clients to keep coming back to you time and time again without having to make any effort on your end? Amazingly, some businesses do… or at least they behave as if they do.

How much attention is required then? Unfortunately, the answer depends on the line of work you’re in. The Wal-Mart/shopper relationship is going to be very different than the marketing consultant/client one. But here are a few tips we all can benefit from:

Communicate – We’ve heard it a million times, but communication really is critical. It doesn’t have to be all steak dinners to be meaningful though. Communication is anything from said dinners to client appreciation gifts to newsletters, birthday cards, or the occasional phone call to just say “Hi.”

Ask their opinion – Like spouses, customers appreciate it when you listen to their opinions and suggestions. Even just through general conversation, getting customers’ feedback facilitates a deeper connection between you, especially if you act on their suggestions.

Do your best – Hopefully you’re putting your best foot forward every time you do something for a client, but it’s true we all have the tendency to shift into auto pilot sometimes. Fight the urge! Clients, like spouses, can get frustrated with being treated as second-best; so much so, they could decide to take their business elsewhere.