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How to Build a Wall Around Your Best Customers |
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Tested marketing strategies that will KEEP the business you have, and help you GET MORE from “A” customers…today and tomorrow.
BUILDING BLOCK #1
Communicate clearly to employees and customers that you sell a professional relationship, not a commodity product. Let them know the benefit of this relationship is security and peace of mind.
BUILDING BLOCK #2
Develop your agency Mission Statement. Post it on agency bulletin boards and in your reception area. Include it on your business card and in your sales literature. Be able to communicate it to employees, customers, prospects and company reps in a simple 60-second “elevator talk”.
BUILDING BLOCK #3
Differentiate your agency by developing your own Unique Buying Proposition (UBP). This UBP must be customer benefit driven. It positions your agency and separates it from all others. It tells your employees what they are selling and servicing. It tells your customers and prospects what they are buying. Your UBP could even be presented as a “service warranty!”
BUILDING BLOCK #4
Respond to customer expectations and affirm that you will meet those expectation right upfront--right at the point of sale. Intensify communications with all new customers during the first year of their relationship with you. Let them know you value their business, their referrals, and their word-of-mouth advertising.
BUILDING BLOCK #5
Initiate a formal customer Listening Process. Using techniques such as mail and phone surveys, online surveys, focus groups, and customer advisory councils, keep asking ”How are we doing?” “Are we meeting your expectations?” “How can we improve?”
BUILDING BLOCK #6
Establish and keep updating a customer relationship database that will enable you to use “one-on-one” marketing tactics, i.e., personalize your KEEP, ROUND OUT, and UPGRADE efforts and conduct productive market segment campaigns.
BUILDING BLOCK #7
Establish repeatable “stay-in-touch” business processes such as a newsletter or bulletins. Provide useful information about coverages and safety and risk management issues. Keep reminding them of the good services offered by your agency. Let them know that you care, and that they are valued clients. Ask for referrals and testimonials regularly.
BUILDING BLOCK #8
Develop and implement a Total Quality Service (TQS) program. Establish agency performance standards and processes. Communicate and discuss them with employees on an on-going basis. Commit to a goal of continuous improvement through training, education and adoption of best practices.
BUILDING BLOCK #9
Treat all claims as an opportunity to demonstrate the value of your professional services and coverages. Make sure that claims are handled with empathy for losses suffered by the customer. Fully inform customers on the claims handling process and what to expect at each step. Monitor claims satisfaction with customers from agency and carrier standpoints. Superior performance will produce glowing “word of mouth” advertising…and referrals.
BUILDING BLOCK #10
Conduct Annual Reviews with every customer. In-person reviews are the best, of course. But you can use other media: telephone appointments; mail, i.e., letters with coverage recommendation, “dec” pages marked up with advice and counsel notes and/or questions for follow-up; even an online survey form. Reinforce what the customer expects from you, reinforce good decisions, and always ask for referrals.
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