(Copyright (c) 2004. Centaur Communications Limited. Reproduced withpermission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction ordistribution is prohibited without permission.) COMMENT: TIM ARNOLD
It is all very well using modern technology to get to know your customers better, but you still have to apply common courtesy to establish a lasting relationship
It seems a great pity that, with such sophisticated communication systems available to us and the power to know so much about each other, we are wasting opportunities to do just this.
If relationship marketing is to mean more than just cost reduction management, we must learn to treat customers as people.
Every business has customers, and every business needs more of them, spending more. Modern marketing seeks loyalty through incentives and collector schemes, yet implicit in the word customer is loyalty. Custom means more than one interaction, and customers are more than simply shoppers - they are human beings.
Built into the human psyche are the need to belong, be loved and succeed. If you deal with a customer quickly, cheaply and badly, then you will lose the customer. Not right away, perhaps, but you will. That is why every business should consider how it deals with its customers. It is vital to see the relationship as a whole, from start to finish. The aim is to make friends with your customers - in a professional way, of course. But friendship has to be built, as we are generally suspicious of instantly acquired friends.
As a business, you should think through how you deal with each of your customers. And, before you do, ask yourself if you are sure you really understand the basis of a good relationship, which is mutual consideration.
Take customer expectations into account; in reality, we do not expect much, so at the heart of your relationship marketing must be a pact not to over-promise, which only creates impossible expectations. By being realistic and consistent, delivery of expectations can be achieved.
Let the relationship grow and nurture it for best results. The next step is to delight. We are more than pleased when nice things happen that we did not anticipate. Remember, delighted customers tell others.
Bringing these thoughts to your business is not particularly difficult. You must find out what your customers are thinking and saying. Then you should consider how to start to behave as a business that wants to have a relationship with customers.
Tim Arnold is joint managing consultant at Applied Expertise
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