Sticky customers
'Sticky' customers are the ones who will stay with you through thick and thin. TrinityP3's Anton Buchner says you should value the customers who are engaging with your brand because they're 'liking' it and interacting with it. "So that's adding a level of engagement on top of what traditionally was the high-value measure – high value in dollar worth and then high value in terms of their engagement plus dollar worth."
an effort around the little personal interface we have in this somewhat impersonal digital age. Using customers' first names when speaking on the phone, noting down hobbies or where they holidayed, are simple ways "to just weave in that little bit of personal chatter," he says. "It is what will make your conversation stick out in your client's mind and this will surely reflect in orders." Erik also suggests creating touch points, such as inviting customers to
a local event or celebration, or notifying them of a business conference that may interest them. "Whether they come or not is secondary, but being thought of
can often mean more to them than you think." And don't forget to acknowledge time, whether you are thanking them for the first, second or 100th order, says Erik. "The time frames are not what matter so much here," he says. "It's more
so that you understand their order patterns and can pre-empt them, work with them and perhaps even meet your customers' needs around them
8 George www.stgeorge.com.au/george
"Don't be afraid to get to know your best customers. Use them to help spread the word in media and social networks."
better. This will undoubtedly improve your relationship with them and result in more loyalty and the best advertising anyone could ever buy."
The power of many For some business-to-business (B2B) customers, a group of stakeholders rather than just an individual will likely be responsible for the continued use of products and services. Andrew Aho is an executive at Rocket Software, a company that deals with mid-market, large enterprise and government departments, and says loyalty is nurtured by keeping customers apprised of product enhancements and by providing insight into how other customers are receiving value from innovative use of Rocket Software's Business Intelligence and Analytics products and services. "Along with a quarterly newsletter that highlights product updates and
new releases, we have a dedicated customer relationship manager who proactively contacts customers to keep them informed. Our sales team
