Lifetime Value:  How to keep customers’ attention

Chronicles of Experience:

A previous post on Lifetime Value discussed the ways in which it is beneficial to your bottom line to seek out and keep clients as a long-term investment of reoccurring sales opportunities.  In this post, I am following up on a request from Koos to look into the ways in which you can keep those clients instead of losing their interest after just a couple of months.

Your relationship with your client is like any other.  Let’s compare it to a marriage since you want lifetime commitment from your customer.  You have been through the courtship and the honeymoon phase and you have signed your first deal and are eager to spend a lifetime together.  How do you make sure it does not end in divorce?

Do not leave them wanting:

If you do not want your spouse or client to look around you need to ensure that you supply everything they need.  Keep those promises you made at the very beginning.  This means that you should give exceptional service and constantly show them that you care.  React quickly to their needs and follow up on every small issue.  Those customer service issues may result in new deals and reinforce the trust that they have already put in you.  You need to remind them that you are great and always improving so that their eyes never wonder towards your competition.

Communication:

A want in communication is the number one reason for marital problems and may destroy the relationship you have built with your lifetime client if you don’t keep it constantly in mind.  Let them know that you saw their complaint ticket and take special care to let them know that it has been solved.  They need to hear from you regularly.  Date night once a month translates to social contact once a term.  These contact sessions should exclude any form of business and focus just on the relationship between the two of you.  Leave the kids out of it.

Let them know you are thinking about them.  A little heart or a ‘this made me think of you’ goes a long way to building lifetime trust.  It is also important to remember those special dates.  Anniversary?  CEO’s birthday?  Put in a bit more effort and keep it on your calendar so you never forget.

Appreciate their commitment:

Thank them for being such a valuable part of your life or business.  It is a mutually beneficial relationship, but brownie-points always come in handy.  Give them small gifts from time to time.  “Just because you mean so much, this repair is on the house!”  When showing affection and care it is the little things that matter.

Customers who have said yes once will say yes again as long as you keep their interest.  These tips should be invaluable to keeping your customers’ commitment and attention in order to realise that lifetime value.