The 21 Essential Elements … IN ACTION

                          ver ask the question “How many customers do we lose every year?” Chances are you haven’t. It’s just not one of those numbers organi- zations make a habit of counting. Most businesses are so busy getting new customers in the front door that they pay far too little attention to the customers who are walking out the back. you probably spend 6, 10, or even 30 times more money getting new customers than you’d need to spend to take better care of the ones you already have! Building Customer Loyalty should be at the heart of every organization’s business practices. “But,” you may say, “every business loses customers.” Of course they do – some customers die, some move, some get wooed away by the competition, and some just don’t need what you sell anymore. The sad truth, however, is that the vast majority of customers leave because they think you don’t care about their business! They think you’re indifferent about whether they come back and spend more money with you. That’s a pity. Are you putting a lot of effort, time, and money into getting new customers? If you’re like most, you are. And the fact is that And here’s something that might startle you: Once you get a new customer, it’s likely that it will take 18- 24 months for you to break even on the cost of getting them!   Do the math. It costs a bundle to keep replacing customers. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that there’s lots of money to be saved by finding better ways to keep your current clients. That’s what this book is all about. It’s just common sense. The money you save by keeping customers drops right to the bottom line. That’s good news! When the bottom line is thriving, there’s no need for constant cost cutting; there’s more job security; and there’s extra money to buy the equipment you need ... and maybe some “creature comforts” like snacks in the break room. That makes for happier people all around, don’t you think? 1 E

Here’s some additional good news: Keeping more of your cus- tomers is very “doable.” And the payoff is big. Experts say that as little as a 5% increase in customer retention can boost your profits 25-100%. Imagine that! You could double your bottom line profit by keeping only 5% of the customers you currently lose! With few exceptions, the more money the organization makes, the better it is for everyone. There are more opportunities for growth, advancement, and salary adjustments. So why not work to increase loyalty in everything you do? When we speak of loyalty, we’re talking about an emotional, perceptual,  feelings-based  subject.  After  all,  loyalty  is  about human relationships. And relationships can sometimes be a little tricky to deal with. This book was written to de-mystify some of those emotional components and help you move several steps closer to “relationship mastery.” As you read, you’ll discover 21 Essential Elements that build Customer Loyalty, and you’ll learn dozens of ways to personally strengthen your customer relationships. To the right of each Element page, you’ll find what I call “Elements in Action”– ideas, tips, and exercises to build your relationship muscle, create more loyalty with your customers, and help your organi- zation (and yourself )  thrive!                Go on. Take the step. Keep reading! It won’t take long. And the return on your time investment will be HUGE.   By increasing customer loyalty, you will add longevity to each service relationship. And, obviously, the longer customers stay with you, the more stuff they have the opportunity to buy. On top of that, loyal customers tend to bring new cus- tomers to your doorstep. What a deal! 2