Can a bad economy put a dent in your sales? A colleague of mine thought so as she watched her sales decline during the last six months. Like most of us, she has heard the news reports suggesting that we are in a recession and wondered if that is the reason her sales are down. I was not so sure, and asked if she had recently cut back on her advertising and marketing. Her response? Yes—as a means of limiting expenses. I then asked if she was meeting new people and developing relationships. She said no. To me, that indicated these two things could be a large part of the problem.
The economy may have something to do with fewer people spending money, but there is nothing you can do about that. What you can do is practice relationship marketing with people in your sphere of influence to increase your business sales. Think about this:
Joe Girard was listed in The Guinness Book Of World Records as the “World’s Greatest Retail Salesman” for 12 consecutive years. Girard wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth; rather, he was abused by his father as a child, lost multiple jobs as an adult and eventually went bankrupt. Finally, he landed a job at a Chevrolet dealership and did very well—in fact, he personally sold more cars than most dealerships. People stood in line to buy a car from Girard—but why? Because he practiced relationship marketing.
Every year, Girard sent 13 handwritten cards to each of his clients and prospects: one card per month and an extra card at Christmas. These mailings were cards of appreciation, tips and giveaways—never about special sales, discounts or promotions. Over the course of 15 years, Girard sent 13,000 handwritten cards. Each of Girard’s recipients began to anticipate a card from him every month and he was always the first person on their minds when they were ready to buy a car.
So, how can you implement relationship marketing in your business? Try these strategic objectives (which also will help your businesses to better withstand the impact of economic downswing):
Develop Strong Relationships
People do business with people they know, like and trust. It’s your job to make this connection happen. To do that, you must go beyond the superficial and become genuinely interested in your customers and prospects. For instance, you can meet clients at a coffee shop and get to know them personally, without the usual business discussions. I often do that. I make mental notes on what is going on in their lives, so I can refer to it the next time we connect. Then I nurture my relationships by consistently staying in touch.
