Tag Archives: cultivation

Get Your Customers to Talk to You

We spend a fair amount of time here in the Home Business blog trying to guess what our customers and clients are up to. We try to anticipate what they might be looking for and figure out how to expand and attract our target market. No matter how much speculating we do, it still cannot take the place of actually hearing from our customers and clients what they want. But, how can you not only get your customers to talk to you, but also get them to tell you what is really on their minds? I still think it comes … Continue reading →

How Many Contacts Does it Take for a Sale?

I have heard all sorts of theories about how many conversations and contacts or “touches” a business owner can anticipate before a sale is made or a customer brought on board—everything from five to ten to twenty different “touches” in order to finally reel someone in. Instead of focusing on the numbers, however, I do think we can concentrate on interacting with our prospects in different ways and making sure we “layer” our approach in order to reach them. Here is a personal example from my own life: nearly two years ago, I signed up to receive an e-mail newsletter … Continue reading →

When People Ask for Information, Be Sure to Follow Up

One of the areas that many small businesses fall down on is follow-up. When prospects or customers call or e-mail for information, we might get the packet or the info sent out to them, but then we neglect to follow up to see if we can finish or propel the deal. It will likely take some effort on our part to get them from a prospective customer, to an actual, paying customer. It can take some record-keeping and time management to make sure that we don’t lose people in the information-seeking process. Consider setting up a system to deal with … Continue reading →

Sometimes, They Just Need a Little Hand-Holding

Who among us hasn’t found ourselves losing patience with a particularly challenging customer or client? What seems pretty simple and “self-explanatory” to us can sometimes be confusing and troubling to one of our prospects or customers. As much as we might want to tell them firmly to “get a grip”–sometimes, they just need a little guidance and hand-holding and they might develop into loyal and steady customers. In one of my incarnations, I do a lot of work and interaction with people from all over the world. This means that there is often a challenge when it comes to language, … Continue reading →

Just Because Customers Aren’t Making a Fuss, Doesn’t Mean They Don’t Need Your Attention

They say that the squeaky wheel gets the grease and that can definitely be the case when it comes to your customers. When you stop to think about it, you might find that you are spending the bulk of your attention on those customers who complaint and are “high maintenance” and some of your better customers may be going unnoticed and uncultivated. Those quiet, easy-going customers still need some attention too! It can be so easy to take our best customers and clients for granted. We get used to their easy-going ways, how they always place their orders or pay … Continue reading →

Make the Most of Every Customer Contact

Perhaps it is an overstatement to say that every contact with a customer, client or prospect is a golden opportunity. Chances are, that might be a little dramatic, not to mention add some pressure where probably none of us needs it. But, we should still keep in mind that every contact we have with a customer or prospect really is a chance to make a good and lasting impression and represent our business in some way. I’m not just talking about personal or face-to-face contact either. Each time you send an e-mail or leave a voice mail message or send … Continue reading →

Nurturing and Cultivating Customers

I am not currently really in a sales business, but I have very strong background in development and fundraising for nonprofit organizations. Raising money is another form of sales and definitely requires the development of some sales skills. But, the one lesson a person learns in fundraising is that it’s not about the one-time donation or “sale”–its far more important to create donors and cultivate people over the long haul. I think this applies to any sort of business as well. Sometimes, making a sale can be in direct conflict with building long-term, loyal customers. It takes some foresight to … Continue reading →