Whether you already have an online or offline business or
are about to begin one, the key to your success is to have
cusomers! Happy, satisfied customers are your key to
success in any business. Many businesses spend a forturne
to acquire a customer, but then, through attrition, lose
that customer. I will show you how to never have that
happen to you!
What is attrition?
According to the dictionary, attrition is a reduction or
decrease in numbers, size, or strength: "Our club has had a
high rate of attrition because so many members have moved
away." You do not want your customers to decrease in
size(number of customers) or strength(the amount of money
they are spending with you!) How can you prevent this from
happening? It is really very simple. Give great customer
service! But how, you say, do I do that?
Go the Extra Mile
A very popular "success" book is Think and Grow Rich by
Napolean Hill. Think and Grow Rich was first published in
1937 after twenty years of research and it continues to
periodically hit the best sellers list even today, over
seventy years later. That alone tells us that this is an
unusually important book. In the book, Hill presents
proven success principles shared and used by hundreds of
history's greatest achievers. One of those principles is
the idea of going the extra mile.
The Furniture Story
Mr. Hill once related a marvelous story about a little old
lady entering a furniture store on a rainy day. Quickly
judged by all the sales people on the floor as a non
prospect just someone escaping the rain but one dumb,
wet-behind-the ears rookie salesman went out of his way to
be courteous and helpful to the lady. Of course he failed
to make a sale and was the brunt of much kidding by the
seasoned old pros.
Not long after the incident billionaire Andrew Carnegie
contacted the store and insisted that this particular
salesman be sent to Scotland to take orders for new
furnishings for the Carnegie family castle. The little old
lady had been Carnegie's mother. By going the extra mile
and extending true customer service diplomacy even to a non
customer this salesman became an overnight superstar.
You may say that such a miracle is not all that likely to
occur in your place of business. However, the habit of
going the extra mile does seem to pay off in some way more
often than not. It is soundly based on universal laws and
concepts of success including the familiar do unto others
as you would have them do unto you as quoted in the Bible.
Some Examples
Here are a few examples that can be used for offline
businesses. They can also get you to think how you can
apply them to an online business as well: - Making sure
callers do not remain on hold or ignored. - Offering
waiting customer's coffee or juice. - Answering questions
patiently and thoughtfully. - Standing up to greet
customers when they enter the office. - Helping the
customer get through to the proper person. - Saying thank
you. - Acquiring extra knowledge that may be helpful to
customers. You must try to think like your customer. Put
yourself in their shoes.
Pack and Ship Nightmare
The past few Christmases I had been doing all of shopping
online. Overall, I and my gift receipiants were pretty
happy. So, I got out of the habit of Christmas shopping.
But this Christmas, I found great gifts for my far away
family at a local retail store. They came in an odd shaped
box, but I figured it would be no problem to repackage them
and ship them. Wrong! I went to a popular "Pack and Ship"
place (I will not name them, but their employees wear brown
uniforms!) and the price was outrageous! Almost more than
the gift itelf. Now I'm doing pretty well financially, but
part of the reason for that is that I am economical. At
those prices, I could pack them up myself and take them to
the Post Office.
A Better Idea
I got to thinking that maybe my friend "Steve" at the Post
Office could give me a tip or a way to pack my packages
that would be fast and cheap. And sure enough, he did!
Steve told me he would tape up the boxes they were in and
just stick a label on them! In 5 minutes, they were packed
and on the way, and at a much cheaper price, thanks to my
friend Steve going the extra mile for me.
Or I could give you an example of my insurance agent. I
came in from out of town on New Years Eve and found a pipe
had burst and water was everywhere in my home. I called
"Terry" my insurance agent and within a few minutes, he had
gotten a crew to come out, dry up all the water on the
carpets, and pack up clothes and linens that had been
damaged to be dry cleaned. He also arranged for a company
to repair the damage to my house.
Eliminate the Hoops
In the examples above of Steve and Terry, I as a customer
did not have to jump through endless "hoops" to get what I
needed. They "jumped through" the hoops for me! Now since
Steve works for the Post Office, I'm not sure how going the
extra mile will financially benefit him. But if he ever
starts his own business, I will be one of his first
customers-no matter what kind of business it is! And the
insurance agent Terry? Well, he carries ALL my insurance,
and he does not have to worry about competition from
anyone! And yes, I frequently tell people about what he did
for me that New Years Eve. I have become an "enthusiastic
evangalist" for him and his agency.
Develop your Own Evangalists
To continue to grow your business, you need to develop your
own "enthusiastic evangalists!" Customers that are so
excited and thrilled about how well you treated them, they
tell everyone about you. That is absolutely the best form
of advertising you can generate. And it is free-if you just
provide excellent customer service and go the extra mile!
----------------------------------------------------
John Abbott has been helping people start their OWN
businesses for years. For more info on starting your OWN
home based business, visit:
http://www.wealthymarketer888.com
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