Last week, I had a great time at the Worldwide ERC® Convention in San Diego, California. During the activities, I was reminded of how critically important networking relationships are, especially in our current market. We need each other. It also made me think about when I began writing "Wednesday's with Susan" to stay in touch with people in my industry. My goal was to pump out ten or so posts at a time, but I soon realized that the information dated itself as quickly as a loaf of bread. Really, information is only as good as the week in which it exists. To be truly pertinent, I found that I needed to write each and every week.
I think we can apply the same principle to customer relationships. We need to take a just-in-time attitude. If we are really focused on our customers, timely and relative information is critical. Most everyone has a customer relationship plan of some sort, whether that is through periodic updates, newsletters, e-alerts and so on. But the real value comes when we get the customers what they need...when they need it...and in order to do this, we have to be disciplined enough to have an intimate relationship with those whom we work.
I will go back to the 80/20 theory for listening over talking. Someone once told me that if you really listen to your clients, they will tell you everything you need to know, to either win or keep their business. So the challenge for us becomes listening intently enough to know how to serve them in the future. My theory is that if you can walk away from a cup of coffee or even a phone call centered around this theme, you can begin planning your just-in-time relationship. Now, when you send off that e-mail with a recent article or trend, it will be received with a sense of connecting to your customer's personal needs.
There is a reason that marketing companies have focus groups and target certain people; they know that they are meeting the specific needs or wants of individuals. Is there a reason you can't do the same? I am not saying to throw away direct marketing campaigns, but I am confident you will see strong results in taking a personal relationship approach.
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