How are you tracking your customers? What type of system do you have? Are you using a rolodex, a file cabinet or have you moved up to Microsoft Excel? Keeping track of your customers is like keeping track of your money. You want to know the details about their business that your competitors may not know. You want to build a relationship with them. Once you build a relationship with them, you will find out valuable tips that will continue to build your business.
Get a system that allows you to collect customer data. This is what a database is. "A database a comprehensive collection of related data organized for convenient access, generally in a computer." dicionary.com
The data has to relate. Essential information that should be collected are listed below:
Company
Name, Address, Phone Number, E-Mail, Website, Products, Services, Company Anniversary, Employee Birthdays (those you interact with), Competitor information, Company Sales for the last 3 years (check their website), their mission statement, HR Manager info, Operations Manager info and Supply Chain Manager info.
Your list of services or products, your costs, a description of your service or product. You want to make a relationship or link this information. This information needs to be linked to the customer's file. This is your tool to stay connected to your customers. You need to make them feel special and important. Get their information, ask questions about their product or service. You are interviewing them so can use this information later to help grow the customer's business. It's all about them.
Customers need to know that you care. They know this when you have done your research. When you contact them remind them about what their current needs are. Say Happy Birthday to them and link your mission statement with their mission statement. Let them know you care about the success of their business and that is why your partnership with them is so important.
Your database holds the key to keeping up with your customers and building that relationship with them. Use it to your advantage.
If you need help developing a database, then contact The Teknowlogy Factory. We build knoweldge one byte a time. We specialize in software training for small businesses.
Take your business to another level, build your database today!
Posted By: Freya Sullivan Williams
Tuesday, September 16th 2008 at 10:27AM
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