Not sure any of the so-called gurus, sherpas, or other divinations with crystal balls can answer that question. But I can. And the answer is simple. Stop focusing only on getting new customers and start serving your existing customers. Simple? Well, it is. Your current customer base can be a wealth of referrals for the future of your business. They can also provide testimonials so that new customers will know that you are a quality company. You can’t buy that kind of loyalty. So, it behooves you to provide your existing customers will stellar service and support.
Now, don’t take that first paragraph in the wrong light. I’m not against getting your company name out to other potential customers. You always need to feed the customer trough. As we all know for whatever reason, customers come and go. Companies go out of business, companies merge, the person you work with gets a job at another company and the new guy brings in his own people, ya da, ya da, ya da. But, I do think many times we think of marketing as only getting new prospects, inquiries, or sales. It also is about communicating to your existing customer base. Too many companies have a great database of names and do nothing with that database.
We all talk about relationship marketing but no one seems to be developing a relationship with their customers. In fact, customers are ignored after the first sale. Whoever heard of after sales support? What does that have to do with marketing, you say? Well, marketing is more than the upfront lead generation. It’s all about building a positive brand and image of your company.
So, my point is this. The great formula to great marketing is to service your customers well. If you do that first, it will be much easier to promote your products or services to potential customers.
