Improve Customer Relationships and Increase Sales in One Simple Step

By Chakisse Newton, President, Cardinal Consulting, LLC

For most businesses, positive relationships with customers are their bread and butter. But how do you ensure that your customers are happy and that you’re taking advantage of all your opportunities to increase sales? Do you have to spend time writing a newsletter or sending out “perks” to clients on a regular basis?

While there are many ways to improve your customer outreach, one of the simplest and most effective ways is to create a Customer Communication Schedule.

What is a Customer Communication Schedule?

A Customer Communication Schedule is a simple plan that outlines how often you will contact your clients to touch base. Your schedule may include electronic, print and other forms of communication, but the cornerstone is a regular phone call. They key is to let your clients know this schedule in advance. That way, you appear proactive and clients not only expect your calls, but also come to see them as a benefit of working with you.

These regular phone calls provide wonderful opportunities to take a barometer of your current service and uncover client needs without seeming pushy or like you’re calling just to make a sale.

How a Customer Communication Schedule Helps You

1.  Take the Fear Out Of Follow-Up.

Have you ever wanted to reach out to an old customer but felt that it had been too long since you touched base? Or, have you ever wanted to share information about a new offering to your existing client base, but felt too much like a "salesperson?" With a customer communication schedule in place, the client is expecting your call.  You are not "selling".  You're simply nurturing a business relationship by calling as promised.

2.  Anticipate Needs and Prevent Problems.

Your product or service may exceed expectations at solving today’s challenges for your customers, but what about their needs for tomorrow? Scheduling a regular review helps receive advance notice of ways to help your clients in the future. Each time you get clearer on your customer’s goals, you can also prevent problems with your offering by understanding how they plan to use your service.

3.  Improve relationships.

It’s a common business proverb that regardless of your industry, you’re actually “in the relationship business,” yet many business leaders fail to cultivate that relationship once they close the deal. Each time you place a regular follow-up call, you deepen your relationship with your client and stand out from the competition. And, you can even revive relationships with inactive clients as well.

4.  Increase Sales.

Each call gives you the opportunity to uncover client needs and to share information about your product offering. Unless you operate in a very small business niche, most of your clients won’t know everything that you do. Imagine my surprise when a client once asked me if I could refer someone for a service that I already provided. Fortunately, because they called me first, I got the business. Regular calls allow you to refer business to yourself.

How to Get Started

A company communication schedule is much simpler than it sounds.  Here are four surefire steps to implement a Customer Communication Schedule immediately:

1. Decide how often you want to follow up with your customers. Some businesses may need to touch base weekly, while others can get by with once a month or once a quarter. Whatever you decide, don’t go longer than six months without speaking to a client.

2. Inform new clients of your communication schedule during the sales closing process. It may be as simple as adding a sentence to your presentation: “Mr. Customer, it's our procedure here at Cardinal Consulting to touch base with our clients once a quarter to evaluate their needs and inform them of any new changes to their service that may be helpful.  Would you like to schedule your three-month follow-up now or should I contact you in three months?”

3. Notify existing customers and previous customers of your “new” communication schedule. Place a courtesy call to customers and inform them of your new schedule. Take advantage of the opportunity to touch base with them about any current or future needs.

4. Make the calls as promised and watch the positive results.

All it takes are a few simple changes to use the client communication schedule to enhance relationships, increase sales, and make it significantly easier to stay in touch with your prospects. Try it today. What do you have to lose? At best, you’ll increase your sales and generate customer goodwill. At worst, you’ll have a happier client. Those aren’t bad choices.

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