Wipe out white space in your customer relationships!

I 💖good customer outreach and it’s not hard to deliver. Check out the great experience I had yesterday—

Because I'm a regular motivational speaker for corporate and nonprofit audiences, I am a member of the National Speakers Association. The national group and my local chapter give me tons of ways to work on my content, delivery, and being successful at the business of public speaking.

A few weeks back I got a note from NSA with an offer of a short video chat to help me learn all the tools available to help me get the most value from my annual membership fee.

In a well-structured call, Kyle Jennings got to know me and my goals, and walked me through all the online and offline resources that can help. He showed me what’s free, what costs and how much, and shared how others take advantage of the publications, podcasts, conferences, webinars, and professional services that NSA offers.

Wow! I realized I was barely scratching the surface and there are many more ways I can get return on my annual membership investment.

Here’s the kicker—because NSA made this investment in me a few things happened, all good for NSA—

• I’m going to use their services more, locking me in for membership renewal at no marginal cost for NSA.
• I may invest in some of the paid service offerings, increasing my Customer Lifetime Value to NSA.
• In a call with a fellow consultant and entrepreneur yesterday evening I recommended NSA membership as a great way to learn more about business-building with public speaking, potentially earning a new member for NSA with zero cost of sales for the association.

How about you?

Do your customers/clients know all the things you can do for them?

Do you make sure you’re in touch with your customers to share all the ways you can help, and to hear what they really would like your help with?

A 2019 LinkedIn study showed that tech buyers are swarmed by their vendors, with 72% of customers saying they’d engaged with sellers in the three months during the initial purchase process.

After the sale? Only 34% reported a “touch” in the prior three months. And, shocking to me, a paltry 36% indicated they’d heard from their vendor in the three months leading up to contract renewal time.

I’m amazed at the size of the missed opportunity.

How can you deliver more for your existing customers, extending the value they receive from you? When you do, you’ll earn more from them for longer, increase the possibility of referrals and references to help you keep the cost of new sales down, and get your customers’ voices in your head, so your strategic planning and operations can adjust to serve them in a way that keeps them coming back, loyal and happy.

Bryan is the owner of 3C Communications, delivering business communications training and coaching to corporate and nonprofit teams and their leaders. He speaks and consults on building stronger customer relationships, asking the keynote question, “Do Your Customers ❤ You Enough?,” at conferences and corporate events.