Relationship Marketing

What makes relationship marketing any different than any other type of marketing? Simply put, it's all about developing a relationship with your client or customer.

Traditional marketing techniques focus on a) identifying the target audience or market and b) developing and delivering a message designed to get as many people as possible from that target group to buy your product or service. The whole idea of developing repeat business was relegated to the realm of customer service.

In relationship marketing, the message and delivery are designed to help you develop a relationship with potential clients or customers so they choose you, and keep coming back. There is no such thing as a 'hard sell' in relationship marketing. It's all about providing useful information and letting your potential customer make the decision. If he or she chooses you, then it's all about deepening that relationship (which includes, but is not limited to, excellent customer service). If he or she does not choose you, you continue to provide useful information.

I think you'd agree that getting one sale is a good thing. getting a customer that comes back again and again is a really good thing. However, don't you really want a customer who comes back again and again and also refers all their friends and relatives to you?

Of course you do. But what makes a customer that loyal?

It's not just a great product or service. I'll admit I occasionally get so excited about a product or service that I just start telling people about it, but it usually isn't just about that. The products and services I am most enthusiastic about are those with a person behind them who has demonstrated that they not only stand behind their product, but they genuinely care about how the product is working for me. I make the leap from good customer to loyal customer when It is clear that the person actually cares about me.

Now, this is nothing really new. Good salesmanship has always been about relationships. It's simple. People buy from other people they trust.

So, how do you develop that trust?

Share information instead of going for the hard sell. The hard sell makes you look sleazy and/or desperate. People don't trust sleazy and desperate people. Just talk about your product or service like a real person. What's great about it? How can it help. This leads to probably the most important tip...

Make the relationship about the customer - not about you. If all you do is talk about your product or your business opportunity, and why you think it's so great, and what it has done for you, blah, blah, blah, you'll lose your customer. People don't trust people who talk more than they listen. Ask questions. Find out what is important to your potential customer. Listen. Don't try to find a point at which you can jump in and talk about your product. Really listen.

If it appears that your product or service is not right for your potential client, say so. Think about what is best for him, not what is best for you. Relationship marketing is about building a relationship that is mutually beneficial. If your product is not right for your potential customer, then the "sale" is not right for you. People trust people who are clearly not pushing a sale.

Be genuine. Some people make the mistake of thinking that relationship marketing is about pretending to care about your potential client. It's not. It's about genuinely caring. You have to think about people as people first, and potential clients second. People can see through a fake attempt at caring. You can, can't you? I know I can. And nothing is more of a turn off than knowing that someone is not genuine about their concern. The good news is that demonstrating genuine concern for people doesn't cost you anything, and the payoff can be HUGE. In fact, the payoff will come in unexpected ways. You'll develop partnerships that you didn't think were possible. You will find both your personal and professional life enriched in ways you hadn't even imagined. No, I'm not exaggerating.

Send thank you notes and cards. If someone gives you his time, send him a thank you card. If someone gives you a referral, send her a thank you card. I'm not talking about email and e-cards, but real hold-them-in-your-hands cards that come in the mail. People love getting cards in the mail. Do you remember how you felt the last time you got a card in the mail? Write a heartfelt message inside the card. Don't ask for the sale. Write about how you enjoyed meeting or speaking with them. Add something specific about the conversation you had. Express your gratitude. Be brief, but be specific.

One of the problems I have in sending cards to clients and potential clients is time. There are so many things I need to do to build my business and provide top notch customer service that it's hard to find time send cards as much as I'd like - even though I know it makes a huge difference. I discovered an online that lets me send high quality crds, with my own personal message, through the mail to clients at a fraction of the cost of buying them at the local store. And I'm not talking about e-cards or cards you print out yourself on your own printer. I'm talking about professional, glossy, personalized cards that are sent through the mail - without me leaving my desk. Very cool stuff. Check it out for yourself.

Acknowledge birthdays, anniversaries, and accomplishments of your clients and potential clients. There are several ways you can do this. You can call them. You can send an email. You can send a card. You can send a gift, like flowers or a book that is meaningful to your client and appropriate to the situation. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see a graphic with a link to my favorite online florist. Do not try to make a sale when you send these gifts or acknowledgements. Do not mention your product or service.If you're wondering what this has to do with marketing your product or service, you still don't get it.

In relationship marketing, you're not marketing your product or service, you are marketing yourself. You demonstrate that you are a reliable, caring, and trustworthy individual. People do business with people they care about and who care about them. And they encourage their friends and family to do business with those people too.

Develop a website. There are many reasons to do this. First, this is the digital age and people are looking for information. They want to know more about you and what you have to offer them. Second, it's an opportunity to deepen the relationship with your clients and potential clients. However, the focus of your website should be on providing information, not selling. That's right. Avoiding the hard sell is even more important online than in person. People do not trust sites that focus on the hard sell. Even if you're selling something (online store, etc.), you need to provide good, meaningful information. Here's more good news - you don't have to be really technical and a computer geek to build a fantastic site that develops loyalty among your costomers and makes you money. Here's a tool that makes it simple and teaches you everything you need to know.

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