I am a simple-minded person. If something is presented to me in a way that is clear and easy to understand, I catch on quickly. In fact, I will be able to do a seminar on it! However, if a new concept is not presented in a simple-to-understand way, the opposite is true. I find myself confused and frustrated.
Because I have lived with this “malady” my whole life, I try to keep things simple for others to grasp as well. Hopefully this Tip on good business relationships will be presented in a way that will be easy for you to remember.
Over the years I have observed that there are three ways that most people deal with business clients. Some are effective and some are not. You choose which one you think is best:

1. Irritate
Constantly call your customers and send them e-mails weekly, or even daily. Flood their mailbox with brochures, advertisements and letters offering your product or service. Make yourself a first-class nuisance to them as often as possible. Call and interrupt them throughout the day.

I know you are thinking that nobody would do business that way. Yet, amazingly, I find that there are many companies and individuals who do that often. They seem to think that if they “hound” their customers with the latest marketing techniques or all of the newest information, they will gain more business.

2. Ignore
Do not ever call your customers or get in touch with them. Do not take the time to contact them on any kind of regular basis. If they want to do business with you, they know how to find you. Always leave the ball in their court!

This is a strange approach as well, yet I have known many individuals who use it and then complain because they never have any business. When I ask them about the last time they contacted their clients, they say, “Well, I was waiting for them to contact me. I figure if they want my services, they will call me.”

3. In touch
Remember the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears? The porridge Goldilocks liked was not too hot and not too cold, but just right. I have found this to be the approach that is “just right.” In fact, this is the one we use in our business.

We try to contact our clients every one to two months (not counting the Tip of the Week). We send them an e-mail or give them a phone call just to let them know that we are thinking about them. We also tell them about the latest program, seminar or product that we have developed. We try to keep the contact brief, specific and to the point. Our purpose is to let our customers know that we have not forgotten them and that we would love to do business with them when the time is appropriate.

May I tell you something? We have more business than we can keep up with and it all goes back to this methodology of keeping in touch with our customers.
You might call it good customer service and that is partly true. But, it is more than that. It is letting the client know that we are thinking of them even if they do not have need of our services at the present time. It is planting seed that I have seen produce much fruit.
Consider the way you do business with your clients. While two of the approaches are offered rather tongue-in-cheek, you may want to adopt the methodology we use. We have found it to be a powerful way of communicating with business associates. It might seem a little slower at first, but I have found it to be longer lasting. We keep our clients forever!

Let me offer one word of caution, however. The contact must be genuine. Many times our customer may be uninterested to do business with us at the time of our call. Yet, after the seed is planted, sometimes in just a few days, they call back to book a seminar or training program. We have made ourselves available by simply keeping in touch. It is a powerful tool that people respect and respond to with teamwork and cooperation.

Remember – you can irritate them, ignore them or keep in touch with them. The choice is yours…but I know which one works! Now you do, too!