How client centric are you? And why does it matter anyway?
We’re coming out of lock down, people are starting to look forward. Businesses are starting to wake up and look to the future.
Given this what you do now and in the next 3 to 4 months is going to set your business up for success for the next 3 to 4 years.
Starting with being completely client centric so you ring-fence them from competitors.
Let me explain why.
In times of crisis we naturally tend to become guarded and risk averse, narrow our view and concentrate on short term consequences. What’s going to happen today and tomorrow. Survival is at stake.
Which generally means two things.
Cutting costs and postponing buying decisions.
Cutting costs could mean you! So your job is to ensure your clients see what you provide as invaluable and can’t do without.
And while buying decisions may well be on hold, smart operators realise now’s a great time to heavily market and build up a pipeline for when things turn around.
Your clients won’t be immune to these messages. And as the economy opens up, they’ll be more open to considering alternatives to you if the deal is favourable.
So it’s vital you protect yourself against this by getting as close as possible to your best clients and protecting them from being poached.
And of course, execute a marketing and sales strategy which brings in new clients from competitors who’ve failed to learn this lesson.
To accomplish this you must build and maintain an intimate, trusted relationship with your clients.
To explain, these are how your clients view you as the sale progresses.
Level 1: You move from being a stranger to someone your prospect believes can help.
Level 2: You move from “helper” to someone your prospects feel understand them.
Level 3: Your prospects trust your advice and are willing to follow it. Ergo, they’re now clients.
Level 4: You clients treat you like their extended family. You’re one of them and they want to help you succeed. In short, the only way to achieve this is through being completely client centric.
Once you’re at level 4 there’s a level of loyalty and trust which means it’s far less likely your clients will jump ship to the opposition.
But this only comes if you take the time and effort to really get to know your clients. Both on a professional and personal level.
Remember the adage, “I don’t care how much you know until I know how much you care”.
The best way to accomplish this is to have regular dialog with your clients. Not just the decision makers but everyone involved in using your product or service.
Walk a mile in their shoes. Find out what they like, dislike about what you provide. What else they’d love you to do.
Validate the areas you provide value and why. Then do more of this. Find out what the implications of the jobs being done are. Is there another step in the process that would add more value. Value they may pay for. Value that keeps them in the fold and blocks your competitors.
Given this market intelligence, could you create new products or services. Targeting them or even a broader market – think Blue Oceans.
Now more than ever is the time to get on the front foot. To deeply interact with your best clients and put in place effective sales strategies to bring new ones on board.
So what’s next?
I don’t know where you’re at. If you’re not 100% certain about your next steps to becoming totally client centric and safeguarding your business, reply to this email. Tell us all about what you do and let’s brainstorm a plan on how to leverage your efforts to grow your business.
Our proven results have helped clients ring-fence their clients, stand out in their marketplace and steadily increase revenue.
Call Rashid on 0414 913 334 or reply to this email and we’ll set up a time.
