Page 271 - Duct Tape Marketing

Duct Tape Marketing

and even cash incentives as ways to keep customers coming back for
more. There are cases where these types of tools may indeed bring
people back, but they are often price-motivated and will build loy-
alty in ways that may not be best for your business. After all, price
shoppers are only loyal until they find a better deal. I have found
that the strongest loyalty-building tool you can apply when working
with your existing clients is communication—frequent, results-
based communication.

When you set up systematic contact points with your clients as
part of your customer relationship management, you get the feedback
you need to address new issues and confront any problems that arise.

Again, with the Handwritten Note
Jeanna Pool of Catalyst Creative, Inc., of Denver, Colorado, wants

to know if you’ve ever had a client thank you for thanking them.
Every single time—and she means every time—she sends out

a thank-you to her current and past clients, she gets a handful of
phone calls from clients thanking her for thanking them. Plus, she
has found that about seven times out of ten, they are ready to hire
her for another project or two . . . not to mention she finds that
she is one of the only small business owners they work with who
actually takes the time and effort to show that kind of appreciation
(www.catalystcreativeinc.com).

Client Survey
I think that it is a good idea to conduct systematic surveys with

your clients. This can come in the form of a phone call after a ser-
vice is provided, a survey form accompanying a new product, or an
annual or semiannual review. Surveys can help you discover when
you let a customer down or how you can make your product instruc-
tions better. Large organizations frequently employ surveys, but even
if your business only has three clients, you should systematically

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