101 Ways to Build Better Relationships with Your Customers

In this Book

• Try as Hard to Keep the Customer’s Business as You Did to Get it in the First Place
• Keep Your Promises
• Follow up with the Customer
• Avoid Selling Tactics
• Send the Customer Thank-you Letters
• Don’t Take Credit That’s Not Yours
• Help Make the Customer Feel Good About the Purchase
• Think Outside the Box
• Pay Attention to Details
• Close Loops
• Don’t Have Hidden Agendas
• Keep Internal Problems from the Customer
• Value Your Relationship with the Customer
• Don’t Cry “Wolf” to the Customer
• Give the Customer Reasons to Brag About You
• Expect Less from the Customer
• Don’t Expect the Customer to Do Your Homework
• Be Accessible to the Customer
• Be Responsive
• Be Responsible
• Exercise Flexibility
• Be Reliable
• Lose Graciously
• Don’t Over Commit
• Do What You Say You Will Do
• Don’t Oversell
• Put Things into Perspective for the Customer
• Reduce Paperwork for the Customer
• Be a Contingency Thinker
• Be Creative
• Don’t Follow the 80/20 Rule with the Customer
• Be Proactive
• Prevent Problems Before They Occur
• Do Things Right the First Time
• Help Reduce Cycle Time for the Customer
• Synergize with the Customer
• Reduce Your Company’s Bureaucracy
• Bend the Rules for the Customer
• Be a Problem Solver
• Refer the Customer to Other Sources
• Look for Other Possibilities
• Roll with the Punches
• Learn the Customer’s Language
• Keep the Customer in Your Company’s Communications Loop
• Have the Top Executives in Your Company Meet the Customer
• Don’t Fill the Customer’s Voice Mail–Box with Messages
• Don’t Call the Customer on Their First Day Back from Vacation
• Don’t Put the Customer On Hold
• Get on the Customer’s Mailing List
• Keep Confidential Information Confidential
• Really Listen to the Customer
• Always Be a Page Away
• Be Computer Compatible
• Provide a “Safe Ear” for the Customer
• Give Feedback to the Customer
• Don’t Spread Rumors About the Customer
• Don’t Let the Customer See You Sweat
• Admit Your Mistakes
• Don’t Burden the Customer with Your Problems
• Don’t B.S. the Customer
• Keep Good Records
• Don’t Become a Nuisance to the Customer
• Understand When “No” Means “No”
• Link Electronically to the Customer
• Be a “Constant” During Change
• Read the Customer’s Annual Report
• Study the Customer’s History
• Ask the Customer if it is a Good Time to Call
• Take the Customer to Lunch
• Keep the Customer’s Priorities in Mind
• Stay “In Tune” with the Customer’s Business
• Empathize with the Customer
• Feel the Customer’s Pain
• Understand the Customer’s Requirements
• Consider the Customer’s Perspective
• Anticipate the Customer’s Needs
• Give the Customer the Benefit of the Doubt
• Avoid Conflicts of Interest
• Keep the Customer’s Logo in Your Computer
• Talk Nicely About the Customer
• Join the Customer’s Team
• Collaborate with the Customer
• Help the Customer Accept Change
• Play a Supportive Role for the Customer
• Treat the Customer Like a Friend
• Don’t Take Unfair Advantage
• Become a Resource to the Customer
• Think Win/Win with the Customer
• Be a Team Player
• Think Long-term Relationships
• Don’t Waste the Customer’s Time
• Act Like a Business Partner
• Deliver on Your Deliverables
• Sell with Class
• Share Your Awards with the Customer
• Don’t Depend on the Customer’s Loyalty
• Help the Customer Reduce Costs
• Focus on Beating the Customer’s Competition
• Focus on Getting the Customer Results
• Look for Ways to Add Value to the Customer
• Search for Ways to Improve Your Service or Product