Are You Creating Friends?

I had a marketing company for several years, with a team that was truly exceptional. Alex, Andrea, Shelly, Nicole, and others were people whom I took great pride in, and they in turn clearly took great pride in the work they were doing.

From time to time I would call them together for an emergency meeting, and announce that a major competitor had gone after one of our key clients. We had to switch quickly into defense mode, and search for ways to wow the customer and win their support.

Of course, the team knew after the first time we did this that no such attack was actually underway. But it was still a valuable exercise, allowing us to identify ways to super-please our clients, before the threat ever loomed.

I still think back on that exercise whenever I ask a prospect why they are leaving their current supplier. I want to know what threat ruined that relationship. And what still surprises me is that, in almost every single case, there was no competitor swooping in to destroy a previously happy relationship. The damage had come from within. Clients were generally leaving suppliers because those suppliers simply were not keeping them happy. There was insufficient effort. A lack of passion. An absence of fanaticism.

How about your clients? If I asked them what they thought of you, would they rave? Would they recommend you? Would they tell me that they don't even want to hear about any other suppliers, because they're so happy with you? Or would they be all too happy to hear about my company, and what we can do for them?

Here's the key question. If they did tell me things they didn't like about you, do you know what those things would be? Do you know where your trouble points are? Unless you actually asked your clients these questions recently, you might be surprised by the answers they give. Most businesses spend too much time selling what they sell instead of asking what their clients want.

So don't wait for the exercise to become reality. Take your top clients out to dinner. Ask tough questions. Learn. Change. Win. If you don't ask questions, someone else will. And your client will answer. Because they're hungry, and they appreciate the attention.