THE CARE PACKAGE… it becomes pretty obvious in reading the recent Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson that he was not a particularly well-liked individual. Tough to work for, merciless, and unrelenting in his desire to have things done his way. So why was he so successful? How is it that he was able to leave such an amazing legacy of innovation and results?
Issacson’s book makes it clear over and over that in spite of the intricacies of the high-tech industry, Steve Jobs took a very simple approach to looking after his customers. Job’s philosophy was… Care more, the money comes after. He passionately cared about the value his products offered, he passionately cared about customer satisfaction, he passionately cared about the image his products created. He “Cared More”… and as we all know, lots of money “came after”.
Look at the opposite approach…here’s an example of not caring in the Sales Business. Recently the National Association of Realtors published statistics that showed 90% of all homeowners are never again contacted by their real estate agent after the deal closes. Why?… Two reasons: #1. There’s no immediate money in it and #2. It just opens the possibility for a complaint. So most Agents become “Secret Agents”. This is ridiculous! Past clients have consistently proven to be the best source of repeat business and referrals for all Salespeople.
Here is your ACTION STEP… if you want to institute a “Care More” flavor to your business then let’s start with the basics. Start by doing the following:
Contact all your Past Clients personally every 90 days. This does not mean by e-mail or by letter or by personal note (you can do those three things too. But they should be in addition to, not instead of). Be very clear on this…you must phone them up or visit face-to-face and say the following…
“I was just calling to touch base to see how you were doing. How’s everything going? (Let them answer and re-establish rapport). “Do you have any questions about (the products/services you offer). What do you need from me?”….this is how you introduce your “Care More” approach. “Well let me ask you, I’m always looking for more people to help in my business…who do you know that needs my help in the next little while? End with…”If ever you have any questions or if you know anyone who needs my help, would you give me a call?”
Don’t be like the 90% of Salespeople who never stay in touch after the sale is completed. Just by reconnecting every 90 days you are demonstrating that you Care More. It’s a great place to start.
One last point for your Care Package. There is a fine line between providing great service and overkill. Everyone knows that to create great customer loyalty you must “provide more than is expected, give them more than the other guy would”. The challenge of course is to make sure that you are not spending all your time doing extra things for just half a dozen clients. The problem with that approach is that you will never have enough time to find enough new clients to earn a living. There is a significant difference between “Caring More” and “caring too much”. Pick your spots carefully on whom you bestow your “caring”. You will never make everyone happy. Be sure you stay in touch with the people that deserve it most…make sure they know that you Care More…just like Steve Jobs. NO Excuses.