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CRM…..got any?
For some companies, especially those who deal directly with
the public, even the most basic strategies involving Customer
Relationship Management (CRM) are sometimes seen as
passing fads designed mostly by those who really don’t know
business. After all, in the real world, we don’t have time for
stuff like that! “We’re too busy running a company just trying
to hold on to the customers we’ve already got,” they say. And
therein lies the irony. For example, a year ago I switched
printers. I had been a small but a happy loyal customer for
three years. So, what changed? Well, two things. First, I found
that more and more, my printer and staffers stopped making
me feel good about doing business with them. That’s to say,
in the beginning, they were very friendly. They smiled and
greeted me personally by name. I, like other customers, had
come to expect that – and enjoyed it. But it stopped. Second,
I found that the prices for the same work were going up
unjustifiably. When I questioned the reason, I was given a
take it or leave it response. So, I chose to leave it – and more
specifically – them!
Now, a year later, I wrote a letter to the president of my new
print provider. I told him how impressed I was with his employees.
I appreciated how they took personal ownership of my printing
needs, their helpful suggestions, and felt that my business
was important to them with questions like “Did you get everything
you were looking for today, sir?” I also wanted him to know
that his CRM policies were the express reason why I continued
to do business with him. I pointed out that I physically passed
by three or four of his direct competitors that boasted “lower
prices.” So, what’s my point?
CRM is not a passing fad. It’s real and it works, it separates
the professionals from the rest, and it promotes business and
profitability. And most CRM is FREE! A kind word, a sincere
smile and a genuine concern for customers’ needs costs
nothing! Reputable studies show that it takes 5-8 times more
money, time and effort to get a new customer than it does to
keep the one you already have! CRM is vigilant. It doesn’t
take customers for granted – they have far too many choices.
CRM strategies are not static.
Successful companies know three things
Although strategies like common courtesy never
change, how you deal with customers does. Simply
said, a good CRM approach is something that evolves
– in some cases to simply showcase a particular or unique
value-add or a new customer-benefit program.
1
2 CRM strategies must have unquestioned employee buy-in.
If employees don’t believe that extra customer care is of
value, they’ll lose interest and the strategy fails.
3 Employees must be given architectural license for the
success of any CRM program. Again, psychological
38 | April 2019 | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE
studies show that employees who feel they have a vested
interest in the success of the company, outperform those
who don’t!
The bottom line is that no one will ever argue about the
importance of this, and that the not-so-new millennium is
going through changes. There’s no argument either, at least
for the foreseeable future, that companies will have to be more
diligent in the ways they acquire new customers – and even
more diligent in how they keep them. My new print-provider, at
least from my perspective, seems to have a grip on what it
takes to keep my business, and no doubt, that of others as
well. In summary, I’d like to share with you two conventions
that will appear in my upcoming Thought Book. First, what
you get out of business comes from what you put into your
customer care. Second, it’s only in the quality of our service
that we uplift the collective. Continued Success!
Paul Shearstone MACP, NLP/CCP, is a recognized expert on sales and
persuasion. He’s an international speaker, twice Certified Coaching
Practitioner, Psychotherapeutic Counsellor, NLP Therapist and author of
several books including, Up Your Income! Solution Selling for Profitability,
and Amazon #1 Best Seller 3X Sales Success! How to move your sales team
to the Top 1%. To comment on this article or book Shearstone for your next
successful event, please visit www.success150.com
or e-mail [email protected].
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