connecting with customers - deluxe small business heroes tour

A PRESENTATION FROM DELUXE

Connecting With Your Customers

SEPT/OCT 2010

follow hashtag #deluxehero

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you have with your customers vary…

from customer, to customer, to customer.

The Relationships…

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…….produce varying results: Referrals

Revenue

Complaints

Opportunities

Ideas

Problems

Solutions

And, Those Relationships…

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If you treat them all the same, you will advance some relationships prematurely and under-leverage others.

You miss out on your chance to get your best customers working for you.

Missed Opportunities

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Stop Doing All The Work!

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Get your customers working for you.

Instead..

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What Are We Talking About?

One approach.

All

customers

One approach.With customer’sname

Multiple

approaches based

on static factors

Multiple approaches basedon history

One approach.

All

customers

One approach.With customer’sname

Multiple

approaches based

on static factors

Multiple approaches basedon history

Multiple

approaches based

on static factors

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Why Now? Because….

Consumers are turning to their peers.

Your customers will share their stories.

100 customers can produce 1000 prospects.

As a marketer, you have much less control than you used to.

The more you know about your current customers, the better marketer you will be.

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And, your time is even more valuable!

You are less in control than you used to be.

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1.Determine what kind of relationship you have with your customers.

2.Determine if your customers are well placed or if the relationship is ready to advance.

3.Take the right steps to advance the relationship.

Your Job…

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1. Put up with mistakes

2. Provide honest feedback

3. And good ideas

4. Recruit others

1. Buy

2. Engage

3. Reflect

4. Come back

New & Transactional Returning & Loyal

It Depends…..What kind of customer are they?

Their Job?

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Most customers tend to be transactional

Satisfied, but not loyal Price sensitive

Repeat buyers Tell others Interested May have multiple providers

Loyal and committed Tell and promote Raise concerns and issues Buy multiple products

Angels

Advocates

Allies

Advocates create Allies

Angelscreate

Advocates

A Deliberate Relationship Strategy

Source: Stone Mantel

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Customer Strategy In-Play

Angels

Advocates

Allies

Your coffee shop asks you to try their newest latte

You do everything your mechanic tells you to do

You recommend your Accountant to a friend, but coach him in advance to ensure success.

You’re asked if you would like your “regular” or something different today.

You share your story of success

You ask your friends You search online

You try and you decide to return

You read an email - twice

Source: Stone Mantel

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What words would you use to describe your customers in each of the categories?

Your Customer Strategy

xxx xxx xxx

xxx xxx xxx xxx

xxx xxx xxx xxx

Angels

Advocates

Allies

Source: Stone Mantel

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Let’s Share

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“Show up” where Allies are - both when they know they have a need and when they don’t!

Make it easy for them to discover your products and services – through trials or “sampling”

Give them a reason to come back

Invite them to your “Advocate community”—newsletters, website blogs, happy hour events

Relationship Strategy for Allies

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Expose them to new products and services

Invite them to participate in your Angel community

Host “bring a friend” educational or social events

Create “relationship” touches to keep your business and you top of mind

Make it easy for Advocates to market for you. Feed them online tools and interesting tidbits to share with their network

Relationship Strategy for Advocates

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Ask for feedback and continuously improve based on their advice

Set-up opportunities for them to tell their story about their experiences with your business

Find ways to recognize and reward them for repeat business

Give them trade secrets (within reason)

Be reciprocal and on a peer level – treat them like a partner

Relationship Strategy for Angels

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Name your Angels: Name your Advocates: Name your Allies:

1. What might you add to your strategy to develop your Allies into Advocates? Your Advocates into Angels?

2. What tools can you provide your Angels so they can affect Allies and Advocates and help move them up the customer ladder?

Your Customer Strategy

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Potential Customers

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Allies’ view of you begins when they have contact with any aspect of your business:

What ad will they see?

How does your website look?

What will people say?

Be the one who is talked about and recommended!

Helping Allies Learn More About You

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It’s All About Connections