Peter Drucker wrote, “The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer”
The sales department will create the customer but the key is to keep the customer and furthermore not lose that valued customer to a competitor.
Excellent customer service is imperative, anticipating their expectations, pinpointing their needs and seeking and analysing customer feedback to ensure the customer feels these needs have been met.
It is not about simply attracting new customers. It is a continuous cycle of both attracting new customers and retaining existing customers.
Every company needs to consider what they are trying to achieve in terms of market share. What is your current strategy for increasing sales and market share? Consider you existing customer base and strategies to expand this, consider also your existing customers and ways of increasing their spend on your products and services. Remember, 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients!
Building strong customer relations and maintaining a constant cycle of dialogue and feedback ensures customer satisfaction, which in turn leads to referrals and new business.
I believe we must treat our customers with honesty and respect and indeed conduct all our business with the highest level of integrity and commitment.
I also believe every organisation has an identity; it’s the face you present to the world and to your customers. Your identity is your brand, your reputation, how you do business and how successfully you do business. We must constantly endeavour to build and protect this identity to keep our customers coming back.
Joseph Dalton