Mark Horner

A strategic problem many businesses face is they fail to properly manage their relationships with their customers. Businesses recognise that Customer loyalty is declining because the Customers have plenty of options, so their relationships with their customers is vital to their business success.

Manage relationships with your customers

Question:

Are your customers as loyal to your company as you would like?

Answer:

At The Alpha Group we make certain that you assess how well you manage your company’s relationships with your customers and plan to improve these relationships

So, how does this happen?

Easy, its a six step-process using the power of the peer-to-peer advisory board.

Firstly the peer-to-peer advisory board help you identify what is your strategic problem.

Your customers’ expectations are rising, and new technology keeps raising the bar for what they expect. Your customers’ knowledge is increasing. your easy access to information and reviews through the internet and social media make customers less reliant on you.

Customer loyalty is declining, they have plenty of options. your increasing intolerance of low performance and poor service mean that relationships with you are becoming increasingly transactional and short term.

The critical three stages in your relationships with your customers are:

1 Before they buy from you

2 Whilst they are buying from you

3 After they have bought from you

Secondly the peer-to-peer advisory board help you assess your relationships with your customers.

Using the 1 to 10 rating system, where “10” is outstanding and “1” is barely adequate; you assess your company performance is at each of these three stages:

- Your assessment of your relationships with your customers

1 PRE-SALE RELATIONSHIP BEFORE THEY BUY?

What do you do to engage with prospective customers?

(Awareness, interest, engagement, consideration and decision)

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2 SALE RELATIONSHIP WHILST THEY ARE BUYING?

What do you do when customers order?

(Order, order confirmation, order fulfilment & delivery and payment)

→

3 POST SALE RELATIONSHIP AFTER THEY HAVE BOUGHT?

What do you do after the orders are completed?

(Initial product/service experience, ongoing product/service experience, cross sell/up-sell, service & repairs).

→

Thirdly the peer-to-peer advisory board help you identify what matters most to your customers.

Remember, as far as customers are concerned, it’s your relationship not yours.

What is most critical for you?

a) Before they buy?

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b) Whilst they are buying?

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c) After they have bought?

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What are your strategic conclusions about your assessment?

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Fourthly the peer-to-peer advisory board help you plan your key improvements.

What key changes will you make to improve your relationships with your customers?

Your plan to improve your relationships with your customers

1 Before they buy?

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2 Whilst they are buying?

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3 After they have bought?

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Lastly the peer-to-peer advisory board help you take massive action to implement your priority improvements.

The profound impact of managing your relationships with your customers is that you will survive, thrive and grow as a company, leading to increased profits and value.

If you would like to find out more about how The Alpha Group members manage relationships with customers then please get in touch and I will be happy to send you further information about visiting a suitable group, online, face-to-face or blended with a mixture of real world and virtual board meetings.