Recently, I got a call from FedEx. It would be difficult to find a business person in the United States that doesn’t know who Federal Express (FedEx) is.
Every year FedEx ships billions of packages. They have hundreds of airplanes in the air every single night. A little know fact about FedEx is that every night sixteen airplanes are in the air completely empty and positioned in different parts of the country so the company can divert those planes to any airport that has an overflow of packages or any airport with planes having mechanical difficulties. FedEx use to have an advertising slogan: When it absolutely, positively, has to be there overnight. The company still lives by this motto today of ever increasing quick delivery service options in the business world.
FedEx has grown from twelve small jets to one of the largest corporations in the world. Yet the company took time to call me. Why? Because they noticed that although I have an account with them, I haven’t used the account very often. They wanted to know what they could do to get more of my business. A good sales, marketing and customer service strategy.
I was impressed with the call and the conversation I had with the FedEx representative. I started to think about all the CEOs, presidents and business owners in this country who pay no attention whatsoever to their current client or customer list but yet are always trying to create sales, expand business and get new customers while at the same time ignoring current ones.
Think about how this story about FedEx relates to your business.
Ask yourself:
What can I do, as a CEO, president or business owner, to impress upon our customers or clients that the company truly appreciates them, their business and values, even welcomes, their feedback?
When your competitor calls on your current customers or clients (and they do) to prospect for business do they say: No thank you – the people we do business with service us well and we wouldn’t think of changing. Or do they say: We might consider changing. What do you have that may be of interest to us?
Your customers or clients should be nurtured in a professional manner to become advocates of your products or services. Every time someone buys from you, the sales cycle should start over again. In any business relationship, never assume everything is okay. Those relationships can become old and broken rather quickly. In business, that is something you can’t afford to have happen.
To borrow from the FedEx slogan: You absolutely, positively … need to consistently meet the needs of every customer, every time. Create a strategic plan to contact your customers on a regular basis to say “hello” and to gain valuable feedback for a successful ongoing customer relationship.
To your success!
Business strategist and business expert, Howard Lewinter, guides – focuses – advises CEOs, presidents and business owners throughout the United States across a wide variety of industries to MORE success – MORE profit – less stress. Business problems? Business issues? Get MORE from your business! Talk business with Howard: 888-738-1855.