Relationship marketing is designed to foster customer loyalty, interaction and long-term engagement. It is NOT a quick, one and done sale.
Like many relationships in our personal life, relationship marketing takes time, trust, is unique to the people involved and it isn't always easy. When considering relationship marketing to help you reach your business goals, here are a few items to consider with customer, referral and influencer markets;
have the right message
have the right person (target audience) - what are their preference, demographics, desired outcomes, challenges, and motivations
send your message at the right time
send your message through the right channel-email, text, phone, in person, social media, online targeting
always be relevant
People do business with those they like, know, and trust. A good place to start with implementing this strategy for any business is to remember the buying decision process and your customer service-relationship marketing strategies within that process.
Connecting and reconnecting is key to long term success. Consider hosting or participating in an event. We often reflect on those memorable moments spent together. May 5-11 is National Small Business Week, what are you doing to connect with your customers, past customers, referrals sources and influencers? A general guideline for connecting frequency on a one to one or larger scale basis is at least quarterly. Lastly, use a customer relationship management system.
