The foundation of a great company outside of its great people is great customers. Knowing how to identify your best customers is the first step on the road to a truly thriving business. Building a business of great customers is not only part of your business goals; it is also will be one of your biggest challenges. Obtaining great customers is always work in progress. You see; great clients challenge you to be your best and to always deliver your best. Bad clients just challenge you!
Great clients are ‘PARTNERS’- They work with you on mutual goals that will benefit both you as a company and them as a customer. Needs of both companies are often aligned. Great clients collaborate and discuss short-term goals, but they also work with you on developing long-term strategies on how to best serve there needs. LOW BIDS; Great partners are not fooled by companies that underbid and provide sub-par solutions. They often see past this and will communicate effectively concerning pricing and service deliverable strategies.
While no two clients are alike, GREAT clients do have some things common. They are often considerate even when things are tough. They will often work with you through difficult situations. They often will communicate clearly and tell you what is on their mind. These types of clients should get priority over your challenging clients.
Here are 8 simple tips for identifying GREAT Customers
1- Look for GREAT companies that have a reputation for quality and value. Your brand can increase just be the company you keep.
2- Build strategic partnerships with GREAT companies. Collaborating with companies you respect and admire. We often can learn a lot by watching others and Learning how they attract great clients. By helping them, you could be helping yourself.
3- Winners surround themselves with winners. Attracting GREAT people to your team could potentially help attract great companies to your brand.
4- Solve problems. Discuss shared goals. Build relationships based on common goals and intentions. You solving a company’s problems potentially help you solve yours.
5- Know what your company is good at. Do not over-promise or stray too far from your core. Meet or exceed expectations on every commitment. Carefully test new offerings in a way that won’t jeopardize trust with your clients. Let your company’s performance and service delivery speak volumes about reliability.
6- Get to know your top clients inside and out. Listening and learning their needs. The best reference is that of another satisfied customer.
7- Like-minded people tend to congregate with each other. Expand your network by asking your best clients for referrals.
8- How do your best customers describe themselves? What are they passionate about? What kinds of questions are they looking to answer when talking to people in your industry? Learn how to describe your business in your customer’s voice, so that other like-minded people will recognize and attach to the descriptions you put out in ads, elevator pitches and on your website.
Want to size your clients up? Here is a simple exercise. Put your clients in these -4- categories and determine how good your clients and your client relationships are. What are the results? Is it time to start looking for better clients?
1- Loyal, happy, very satisfied and you are there trusted advisers
2- Loyal, happy and generally satisfied
3- Content
4- At Risk
Your thoughts and opinions?
Looking for a good book on the subject, suggested reading;
- The Visionary Leader: How to inspire success from the top down.
- Susan Bagyura (Author), Michael E. Gerber (Foreword), Fiona Dempsey (Illustrator)
Leave a Reply