Need a new van? How about some new equipment? With the banks unhelpful at the moment, have you thought about asking your customers to help out? Now, you’re probably thinking…why on earth would total strangers lend me money when they don’t know me?
Well, that’s an interesting question that I put to the test a while ago. I asked my customers for money and they simply sent it. Let me explain.
I had a large tax bill coming up in a month or two. I had the cash available in  the bank but I didn't want to use it for a particular reason that I won't mention here.
So I told this story to my customers and offered them ‘Cleaning Bonds’ at a preferential rate if they were going to have their carpets cleaned later this year. And they sent me hundreds of pounds! They included notes with their cheques…“Hope this helpsâ€â€¦and “Sorry to hear that you are in trouble.†This is the power of ‘Relationship Marketing.’
Some years ago I heard one of the bosses at Tesco’s announce about relationship marketing… “But our customers don’t want a relationship with us!†I beg to differ. I think they do. Not in the “lets have them round to dinner†sort of relationship. But in the matter of trust.
This is particularly important in our business. After all, the checkout girls at Tesco are not in their customers’ bedrooms like we are! Our customers have to have a relationship of trust with us.
So how do we build it?
First of all, it must be genuine. We must genuinely put their interests ahead of our own. Marketer Jay Abraham calls this a Strategy of Pre-Eminence. We would NEVER do anything to them that we wouldn’t want done to ourselves. Including sub-standard work, including ripping them off in any way. We must be their ‘trusted adviser’ in the matter of cleaning their carpets and upholstery.
How does this come about? Send ‘Thank You’ cards and letters after each job for example. Many years ago when I bought my first mobile phone (you know, the sort that was the size of a small suitcase), as soon as I had signed the contract, the salesman said “Thank you very much†I was staggered. In fact I can still recall how I felt to this day.
Now, why was this so amazing?
Simply this: No-one had ever thanked me for giving them business before. Yet just that simple act had such a profound effect on me that I can still remember it! And I still feel good toward him to this day. This is ‘relationship marketing’. It’s not a sales gimmick but is built on genuine care.
And how about special client offers not available to anyone else? Or regular communication with a monthly newsletter. Not filled with ‘image building puffery’ but genuine information to help your customers that will cause them to bond to you.
All of this builds a genuine relationship with your customers…and who knows when you might need a short-term loan?