5 Ways to Lose Your Customers by Brad Sugars
There is a lot of discussion on customer retention; let’s take the opposite approach- “five sure fire ways to lose your customers.” To learn more, keep reading this post by Brad Sugars!
- Try to sell them something they already buy from you (as if it were something new). It never fails, each week I get an offer from a company trying to sell me something that I already buy from them. Wasted marketing dollars.
- Be inconsistent in your delivery. Have you ever gone to a restaurant that was great, only to be disappointed when you went back with family and friends? I know that I have. Inconsistency breeds a lack of confidence in your ability to deliver.
- Raising prices has a tendency to drive off some of your customer base – especially those that are price shoppers. This one has an upside and a downside. The upside is that if your product or service is fantastic, raising prices will allow you to increase your profit. The customers that you will drive away are the price shoppers that make up the lions’ share of your headaches.
- Respond slowly – a great way to loose customers. I responded to an ad for a marketing company two weeks ago — it took them a week to call me back. How could a company that focuses on marketing be that slow in responding? Obviously, I will not be using them.
- Perceived indifference the most important of the five. You have invested good money in acquiring your customers. Treat your “A” clients as gold by staying in front of them and reminding them how much they mean to you. The key to retaining clients is to make them feel special.
Action Tip of the Month from Brad Sugars — Customer Management!
It is amazing how the 80/20 rule applies to different aspects of your company.
80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients.
80% of your sales come from 20% of your products.
80% of your headaches come from 20% of your clients.
At ActionCOACH, we work with clients to identify the common characteristics of their “A” customers. Once identified, we determine how to best reach them by discovering where they live, where they shop, and what else they buy. Once we have a solid understanding of our “A” customers, we can develop the strategies to ensure that the lion’s share of our customers fall into that category.
So, what will you do with your customers that have no hopes of becoming “A’s” or “B’s?” Right now, you are giving your C & D customers attention that should be going to you’re A and B customers. Make the commitment to your business today that you will start giving the people who deserve it your undivided attention.
Action Book of the Month-I recommend you read, Instant Systems by Founder and Chairman of ActionCOACH, Brad Sugars– (visit www.amazon.com to order your copy today!)
Brad Sugars founded the brand Action International in 1993 when he realized there was a disconnect between business advice and implementation. The answer was Action! Brad Sugars created a business coaching company so that business owners throughout the world can realize their goals in business. Today the company is known as ActionCOACH and operates in 65 countries in the world. To learn more about business, visit Brad Sugars Reviews blog!
Reason #1: Different styles and methods of business coaching don't work for everyone
It's important to be honest with yourself and conduct a realistic assessment when it comes to business coaching. Though business coaching can have many benefits, it might not work for everyone.
Every individual brings their own experiences and values to the coaching dynamic, so results will vary. Additionally, some individuals might need more than just a coach. They might also need specialised knowledge or communication strategies specific to their industry or target audience. Below are a few key factors to consider:
Reason #2: There is no clear focus or vision (talk about time dedication here too)
cIt's important to be honest with yourself and conduct a realistic assessment when it comes to business coaching. Though business coaching can have many benefits, it might not work for everyone.
Business coaching is an effective tool for developing a clearer focus and vision for growing your business. A good coach will help you to take a comprehensive look at your strengths, weaknesses, and available resources that can be used to reach those goals. They will also help you draw up action plans with step-by-step instructions to get there.
By providing honest feedback and being patient throughout the process, a business coach can make sure that you’re on the right track. This will enable you to set realistic milestones and tasks.
These tasks may need dedicated time outside of coaching sessions. For example, a coach might help a client develop a marketing strategy or implement new systems for managing employees. However, if the client does not have enough time to devote to these tasks outside of coaching sessions, progress will likely stall.
Both the coach and the client must have enough time available to reflect on past experiences, brainstorm new solutions, and test out different strategies. If either party is rushed or distracted during coaching sessions due to other commitments or obligations, they may struggle to fully engage in this process.
Effective business coaching also requires a commitment to regular meetings and ongoing communication. If either the coach or the client does not have enough time to dedicate to these meetings, progress may be slow or nonexistent.
It's important to recognise that business coaching is an ongoing process that takes time to yield results. While some clients may see improvements after just a few sessions with their coach. Others may need months or even years of consistent effort before they begin seeing real changes in their businesses.