| Have you ever thought that a customer's life cycle | | | | would be as if you have never used a customer plan |
| and a customer's relationship with you are very much | | | | in the first place. So, when you develop a plan, make |
| like a flower in bloom? Like most things, a flower has | | | | sure that you are staying in contact with that |
| to start out from seed or bulb and grow eventually | | | | customer. Contacts do not have to be fancy or |
| and come into bloom. In addition, unfortunately, at | | | | expensive; they could be simple phone calls to inquire |
| some point in time, the blooms began to wilt, the | | | | about their usage of your products, or the success |
| flower begins to shrivel up, and the petals fall off the | | | | of their business. This is a very simple way to create |
| flower. In a similar fashion, the customer also has a | | | | loyalty and retain more customers for longer. In |
| life cycle like this. After a period of pursuit, you | | | | gardenering terms, this is where the gardener makes |
| convert the prospect in to a customer. They begin | | | | sure the seed, flower, or plant has plenty of water |
| to bloom into a relationship after nurturing and care | | | | and sunshine to realize its full potential. |
| from your sales people and they do it in a relationship | | | | Make It About Them |
| with your company. However, at some point in time, | | | | Because your goal is to extend the life cycle, you |
| just like the flower, the customer's relationship begins | | | | must do everything in your power to make sure that |
| to diminish. Moreover and inevitably, the customer | | | | you are constantly thinking about how to make your |
| relationship will always have an end. The question is | | | | customer more successful. You should focus your |
| how do you prolong or extend this customer | | | | thoughts on your customer and not your profits. As |
| relationship? There are a few very simple ways to | | | | Zig Ziglar once said, "If you help enough people get |
| do this. By following three of these simple methods, | | | | what they want, they will help you get what you |
| you can help your company extend the relationship | | | | want." If you take care of your customer, profits will |
| or customer life cycle by a few days, a few months, | | | | follow. Therefore, an easy way to think about your |
| or a few years. The result is a more satisfied | | | | customer (automatically) is to utilize some sort of |
| customer, a more successful company, and more | | | | Internet news collection feature like Google news |
| profits to shareholders and sales people. | | | | alerts. This is an easy way to make sure that you |
| Manage the Expectations | | | | stay in contact with your customer and are always |
| One of the easiest ways to lengthen the customer | | | | bringing them items of value or interest. This is simple |
| life cycle occurs at the beginning of the customer | | | | to set up and the benefit is overwhelming. You will |
| relationship. This involves you, as the company or | | | | show your customer that you care about their |
| sales person, taking the time to introduce your new | | | | success and you will learn more about their business |
| customer to your culture. In other words, you help | | | | as well. This will, in turn, encourage them to be more |
| set the standards and conditions for them so they | | | | loyal and stay with you for a longer period. Continuing |
| understand what to expect. Here, it is your duty and | | | | with the garden example, this is like you pulling the |
| job to manage their expectations. There are a | | | | weeds from around your flower so it can grow even |
| variety of ways to do this, but the easiest is to | | | | bigger and flower even more beautifully. |
| utilize some type of promise and expectation form | | | | Extending and retaining the customer for a longer |
| template or discussion sheet. This is akin to a | | | | period is a relatively easy process to do. |
| gardener planting the seed in fertile soil and making | | | | Unfortunately, most companies do not take the time |
| sure that it gets enough sunlight, water, and fertilizer. | | | | to develop a plan and then executed it. The result is |
| I Just Called to Say I Love You | | | | that companies lose their customers more quickly |
| Another method for helping to extend your | | | | than they should. Often, this creates unnecessary |
| customers life cycle is to ensure that you have a | | | | expense for the company because they then have |
| defined and discipline contact plan. You can execute | | | | to go out and replace this revenue. If, however, |
| this plan through a customer relationship management | | | | companies do a few simple things like mentioned |
| system, a spreadsheet, or a variety of templates | | | | above, they can extend their customers life cycle, |
| and tools. Regardless, make sure that you utilize | | | | add more value, keep more customers, and make |
| whatever contact plan you develop. Otherwise, it | | | | more money. |