The art of being sticky
Susan writes about making your clients sticky but I would argue this is no the way to do it. Don’t get me wrong SharePoint and Office 2007 are a wonderful combination, and there is a lot of money to be made offering combined solutions. But if you want sticky clients, don’t tie stickiness to a product. Software products come and go, but great relationships last forever!
If you want clients that are sticky, put their best interest first! Sell them solutions that will help them make money. Don’t put them in a solution just to lock them into being your client. Put them into a solution that is in the best interest of their profitability. If you are making them money (or saving them expense) they are yours no matter what the latest greatest whizzbang technology is today, because they know you are looking out for them.
Nowadays everyone is paying lip service to becoming a trusted advisor. Well you don’t become a trusted advisor overnight, or by taking some test or training course. You become a trusted advisor over time by giving great advice and putting the client’s business needs before your own needs. Don’t lock them into some product or service just for the lock-in value. Lock them into trusting you by always putting their problems and needs ahead of yours. Don’t be afraid to sell them what they need instead of what they want. If you feel a solution is right for them, argue your point, show the value. Don’t just sell them what they may be blindly asking for, if you know it is not right for them. This is the road to becoming a trusted advisor and having sticky clients!
April 4th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
[...] …if you don’t do the right thing for your customers. In reading a dear friend’s blog today about being sticky, Andy mentioned repeatedly that the key to success in small business is actually about putting the client’s interest first. Check out this wisdom where Andy writes: Well you don’t become a trusted advisor overnight, or by taking some test or training course. You … [...]