Our articles are usually focused on sales and practical techniques for producing new business.  However, a critical component of the process is actually keeping what has been produced.

One of the realities inherent in a changing market is that we are all more vulnerable to losing business …and when is a market not changing?

In a changing market, we simply cannot know everything.  It is extremely difficult and perhaps even unrealistic to be absolutely certain about the latest in available services, innovations, terms and conditions from all competitors in your market.  Please take a moment and think about this right now: Are you certain of what is available from all sources in your market?  All sources?

How should one respond?

• Your objective is to keep your clients from “dating” your competitors!

Here are some practical action steps – pick two:

• Call a minimum of four of your existing clients each week – clients who may not be expecting your call.  Just check in with them.  How are we doing?  What’s changed?  You’re not dating anyone are you?

• If you have not done so, create a service contract with your client.  Define client objectives, timetables and your deliverables.

• Review your client’s business objectives.  Where do they want to be in 2012?  What new challenges and opportunities are they anticipating? What is keeping them up at night? What about the personal objectives and aims of your key contacts, your key relationships?
   
  Review client expectations. Don’t know what they are?  Go see your client before they begin establishing expectations with your competitors!

• Ask your service team to be alert to service problems from any area and report them back to the team.  Again, how are we doing?  What’s changed? What can be done to address these problem areas?

• Promote your exceptional service delivery with your client.  Document the good work you have done, success stories, what has been accomplished, problems you anticipated and solved. Ask your existing clients for testimonials and bring the memory of the good service you have provided to the forefront of their minds.

• Create a list of the Top Ten reasons that clients do business with you (and don’t stop at ten!)

Oh great, more work!  These items may at first seem overwhelming – calling, visiting and documenting combined with all of the other daily pressures, responsibilities and deadlines.  We suggest that you start from the possible – the two we recommend: Is it possible to contact four clients each week? Review client objectives.

In a changing market, existing accounts are vulnerable.  Although our job is to relieve the competition from the burden of their accounts, it is also our job to keep clients from “dating” competitors.

Copyright 2008 by Tom Redmond. Used with permission.