How Do You Treat Your Best Customers?

Seth Godin says, "Your best customers are worth far more then your average customers." Why is that? Your best customers are more likely not only to purchase more product or more often, they are also more likely to refer you to others.

So instead of trying constantly to get new customers, why not focus your marketing strategies on your existing best customers? Most of my new business comes from word of mouth referrals from existing clients. So that's where I focus my energies. Make it easy for them to refer you and give them a nice thank you.

How do you treat your best customers?

Partner with Your Customers

Another 'Walk the Talk' tidbit: "Build partnerships with your customers by under-promising, over-delivering, and following-up to ensure they are satisfied. Solicit their input on how your products and services can be improved."

You'll find that as you put this into practice, your clients will voluntarily refer you to others. By soliciting their opinions, they feel important. Of course it's necessary to implement suggestions if appropriate. If you never apply any suggestions you receive, your customers will feel unappreciated and look somewhere else to take their business.

How do you follow up with your customers?

Give It Away

Do you want more customers? Consider giving them something for free. HotMail did this and attracted more than ten million customers for its free email service. Now it is supported by advertising. By ending each free email from the sender with an offer for free email for the recipient, HotMail used the ultimate in word-of-mouth advertising.

Yes, there will be those who sign up for your freebie and then you'll never hear from them again. But many will be impressed by your quality, service and commitment and they will become lifelong customers.

Do you do business with companies that gave you something for free? Why not make a list of things you could give away for free and then give it a try. It could be as simple as creating a free report that you give prospects when they sign up for your newsletter.

What can you give away?