7 Bits Of Critical Information You Cant Afford NOT To Know About Your Customers
If you think customer relationship management is just a piece of software, you're dead wrong. Customer relationship management is about understanding your customers. It's about really knowing them as individuals, knowing what they mean to your business, and most of all, knowing what you need to do to keep their business.
Ideally, you need a profile for each of your customers. Most customers will gladly give you the information you need especially if there is a small incentive. Offer them a coupon, a special discount, a gift certificate or even movie passes.
What do you need to include in the profile? Other than personal information, data you track can be as detailed or as simple as you can manage. The key point is to use a process or system. Here are some basic categories of things you want to know for sure:
Customer Value - How much do they spend with you in a month or a year?
Top 10 or 20 Percent - Who are the top 10 or 20 percent of your most valuable customers? These are your "gold" customers. Know who they are and treat them accordingly!
Why They Choose You - Why do they keep doing business with you? If you're not sure about what you're doing right, how will you know what to keep doing? Ask them!
Where They Came From - How did they find you? If you know where they came from you can go back for more customers just like them!
Who They Brought With Them - What new business have they brought you? Who have they referred you to? Referrals are like automatic deposits in your bank account. Find out who is making the deposits!
How You Thanked Them ? If you don't currently use a simple system to thank your customers, start now! Customers who feel appreciated are easier to retain, and better yet they will reciprocate with referrals.
Deal Breakers - This is the most overlooked bit of critical data. If you've lost customers or just haven't seen them in a while (and it happens to all of us), find out what's going on. Most customers will welcome the opportunity to tell you, especially if something went wrong. What you don't know can hurt you!
Now, compile the information, keep it up to date, review it regularly, and use it to manage your customer relationships. A simple spreadsheet, database may work just fine for a smaller business. The objective is to collect enough information and data that you can use to understand how they are important to your business. It's the same concept retailers and buying clubs use in issuing customer cards. They use the information to track customer value, buying habits, etc.
Too busy to spend your time collecting information about your customers? Think again!
If you're serious about competing in today's business climate, it's time to start strategically managing your customer relationships. After all, your relationships with your customers are your business.
About The Author
Lora Adrianse is passionate about working with highly motivated people who are ready to unleash their potential and maximize their personal and professional development. She is accomplished in developing employees at all levels, a seasoned business manager, and an expert in building solid business relationships in the workplace and with customers. She can be reached through her website www.connectionscoach.com; coach@connectionscoach.com.
 Google News Updated : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:51:51 GMT Aurilia, Vizquel help Giants rally for win - San Jose Mercury News
San Jose Mercury News - By Andrew Baggarly It would be difficult to claim that the Giants improved their playoff hopes when they rallied for a 6-4 victory over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night. Aurilia gets key hit, makes pitch for old guys Giants rally in eighth to edge Nats Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:43:04 GMT US cancer boss in mobiles warning - BBC News
BBC News - The director of a leading US cancer research institute has sent a memo to thousands of staff warning of possible higher risks from mobile phone use. Cell phones: The next cigarettes? Group sees possible link to brain cancer Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:35:11 GMT Hunt begins for Karadzic helpers - BBC News
BBC News - Officials investigating captured Bosnian Serb ex-leader Radovan Karadzic say they will track down and punish those who aided his false identity. Video: Karadzic plans to defend himself in The Hague Kenya: Karadzic's Fate a Lesson Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:47:45 GMT Sudan's president boogies on last Darfur pit stop - AFP
AFP - EL GENEINA, Sudan (AFP) - A dancing Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir paraded as a man of peace on Thursday during a heavily protected tour of Darfur defying accusations that he masterminded genocide in the region. Sudan counters charges with diplomacy Al-Bashir in Sudan peace pledge Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:15:43 GMT Obama to demand more from Europe in Berlin speech - Reuters
Reuters - By Caren Bohan and Noah Barkin BERLIN (Reuters) - US presidential candidate Barack Obama is expected to call on Europe to do more in hotspots like Afghanistan when he speaks in Berlin on Thursday in his only formal address of a week-long foreign tour. Berliners welcome Obama as they did JFK Obama Starts European Trip With Stop in Germany Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:25:11 GMT Finding Bale's dark side - Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times - BY BILL ZWECKER Sun-Times Columnist 'The Dark Knight'' star Christian Bale's alleged ''assault'' in London against his mother and sister is part of a long-simmering family feud. Batman star stays silent in Spain Christian Bale's lady sidekick: Sibi Bale Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:08:50 GMT Day After, WNBA Untangles Brawl - New York Times
New York Times - By MIKE OGLE Some of the WNBA’s biggest stars commanded national attention Tuesday night and into Wednesday - but not in a way their teams or the league wanted. Don't count on fights becoming WNBA trend WNBA may have a fighting chance Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:06:48 GMT Create Blog |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Customer satisfaction is valuable, but customer loyalty is priceless. In... Read More In any business our customers are one of our most... Read More Nobody likes to get complaints. They make you question your... Read More A client recently said to me: "Most days things seem... Read More Many organizations tackle to the issue of customer service by... Read More The call center represents your first line of communication with... Read More You want customers. I want customers. We all want customers.... Read More If you're a pet owner, you know the stress of... Read More Background The company was experiencing an increase in the number... Read More Recognize metaphors from every angle and round up more insight... Read More This morning I was having breakfast with my good friend... Read More Even the best business will receive an occasional customer complaint.... Read More Resistance has to do with putting up blocks that prevent... Read More Prime directive: Make sure your claim is reasonable! Otherwise, forget... Read More Whether you are a seasoned small business professional, or you... Read More Q: One of the big chain bookstores recently opened up... Read More Client satisfaction starts with meeting or beating the contractual obligations... Read More What is your customer saying about you? Do you really... Read More From Ebay to the smallest home-operated start-up, e-businesses of all... Read More Good customer service just isn't enough anymore in the marketplace... Read More Good service is easy to spot and hard-to-find. Mediocre service... Read More The best way to explain this concept is to tell... Read More Want to know the secret for keeping your clients forever?... Read More According to a Forum Corporation survey of commercial customers lost... Read More Call center solutions solve a range of age-old problems. As... Read More
Adsense
websites
Top Ten Strategies for Delivering 5-Star Customer Service
Handling Difficult Customers - 8 Strategies
Complaints Are Actually A Good Thing!
Profit from a Customer Service Recovery Program
Customer Service Is More Than Just Being Nice To People
Call Center Software - Your Tool of Choice in Customer Relations
What Do They Want Anyway?
In the Villa of the Sick Cat -- A Lesson in Customer Care
Developing A Customer Complaint System
The Marvelous World of Metaphors
Learn to Anticipate Your Customers Needs
Handling Customer Complaints
Reducing Customer Resistance to Your Product or Service
To Complain and Win! - My Personal Recipe
Keeping Clients Happy Keeps them Coming Back
Writing The Book On Great Customer Service
Over Deliver - The Key to Customer Satisfaction
Does Your Customer Talk Back To You?
E-Business?s Best Friend: eCRM
Are You Giving Your Customers Enough Reasons To Return To Your Business?
Putting The Serve Back Into Customer Service
Making Your Contacts Work For You
Client Appreciation - It Means Everything!
5 Ways Customer Service Managers are Implementing to Increase Customer Focus
Modern Call Center Solutions - Keeping in Touch is the Key
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
Say It With Humor
When you own a business, you may find yourself in... Read More
Committed To Your Customer? Prove It When They Complain!
Businesses like to brag in their advertising about quality of... Read More
Oil Change Customer from Hell or Hoax; You Decide
Evacuation, "E-Vac" Oil System for Oil ChangingHow do most mobile... Read More
The Reality of Customer Service in America and Best Efforts in Franchising, We Can Do Better
Yesterday I went to buy a sandwich at a franchised... Read More
Do You Want More Profits? - Follow The Golden Rules Of Providing Good Customer Service
Last night I was at my computer and a Skype... Read More
The Death of the Loyal Customer
One of my classes in management focused on the repeat... Read More
Customer Satisfaction and the Service Business
The relationship between customer satisfaction and success of a service... Read More
Over Delivering Provides Big Results
Over promising is a problem only when you under deliver.... Read More
Customer Service A Chickens Way
Anyone who knows me knows my favorite fast food restaurant... Read More
How To Use Your Current Customers
Jay instructed a customer of his to offer a rare... Read More
Sales Marketing: 10 High Impact Ways To Improve Your Customer Service
If you want to last a long time in business... Read More
Customer Service: Everyone is Fighting Their Own Personal Battles
Relationships... Money... Health..The Past...Failure..Mental and Spiritual Battles..Time Constraints...Professional pressures..At any... Read More
Client Service as a Competitive Advantage
As someone who has been heavily involved facilitating strategic planning... Read More
Post Office, Incredible Lady Postmaster
There are two Post Offices that I routinely visit. One... Read More
The 3 Rs of Customer Service
What I am about to tell you may seem very... Read More
How To Kick Your Customer Service Up A Notch!
Welcome to the inaugural issue of Human Tech Tips --... Read More
How to Keep Customers
Who was it that said - "The customer is always... Read More
Cheap To Keep
You've heard it all before when it comes to stats... Read More
How To Boost Your Bottom Line With Two Little Words
I hate to sound like one of those cheesy get-rich-quick... Read More
How To Build Stellar Client Relationships
Your opportunity to build a stellar client relationship starts with... Read More
Handling Angry Clients
What do you do when your client gets mad at... Read More
CRM For Beginners ? Customer Relationship Management Basics
In order to maintain a successful business, the business must... Read More
What Do Your Clients REALLY Think of You?
*********************************************Know Thyself - Socrates*********************************************I'd like to start this article with... Read More
What Every Employee Should Know About How to See Customers Problems from Their Creative Side
Customer Service is a blessing and a curse; a blessing... Read More
DONT Give Your Customers What They Want!
One of the mantras we hear repeatedly in business is... Read More
Customer Service |