Customers, clients and friends

My book co-author Becky McCrary poses a question.
Do you treat clients as neighbors or tourists?
It is an intriguing distinction.
I immediately thought “neighbor.”
I like my neighbors and see them often.

The restaurant waitress spends more time with:
• The guy who comes in every Tuesday?
• The interstate driver who just wants a hot meal?
She often treats Mr. Tuesday as her neighbor.
She calls him by name. Knows what he wants.
Puts his order in the computer before he sits down, Asks about his kids. Talks about last night’s game.
She’ll never see the interstate driver again.
Mr. Tuesday is a steady source of repeat business.

How do you define neighbor and tourist?
• Neighbor: Call by name. Wave as you pass.
Know their family. Chat about last night’s game.
• Tourist: Invite them in. Prepare their place.
Give your name. Make their visit fun.
Anticipate their needs. Request feedback.
Suggest return visit. Even ask for referrals.

To treat your customers as tourists you will:
• Capitalize on the advertising that attracts them.
• Have a clean,comfortable place for them.
• Pleasantly answer the phone.
• Use their name as quickly and often as possible.
Everybody enjoys that small recognition.
• Make it easy to make a buying decision.
That’s more than just limiting inconvenience.
Give them a sample, an idea or a smile.
• Recommend products and services that benefit them.
• Greet them by name each time they come in.
• Make them feel welcome and appreciated.
• Inquire about their experience with you.
• Ask them to tell others about her experience.
• Schedule their next appointment or visit.


Think about using the words “client” vs “customer”.
Clients trust us and are attracted to us.
They look for ways to do business with us.
They recommend their friends do business with us.
They confide their fears and frustrations to us.
They are driven by our value, not our prices.
They are relationals. They trust us.
They know with us their interests come first.
We will see them often.

Customers only come when they need something.
They rarely make referrals to us.
They are driven by price, not value.
They are transitionals. We see them rarely.
They only buy when we offer bargains.
We create customers by talking.
We create clients by listening and understanding.
In time they become trusting friends.
That’s because we earned their trust.



Special note to Success Strategies readers



Would you like to help improve my new book?
It is a book on leadership. Its title is:
“What It Costs to Be the Boss”
Its premise is that leadership is a learned art.
It is a privilege, honor and responsibility.
Many managers, Few true leaders.
For sample chapters of the book, email me
Jerry@JerryBellune.com
All I ask is that you give me your evaluation.
Books are made better by good readers.