Make it easy for people to actually spend their money with you

YOU might have the newest, whiz-bang, super product that outstrips everything else on the market by a country mile, but the buyers are still beating a path to the bloke down the road. You've done the big-bang marketing launch. Everyone says the advertising is spot-on? but the cash registers still aren't playing your tune.

Sure, you can get them in the door, or on the phone. But, when it comes to the crunch, your potential customer disappears quicker than illusionist David Copperfield. Or, maybe the guy you thought was so happy with his initial order wasn't so happy with the service, and that's why he's now dealing with the opposition. What's wrong? Maybe - and let's not take this personally - but, just maybe, you are not that easy to do business with.

Whether those of us in business like it or not, it's true that 99% of consumers could survive adequately without 99% of the things they buy.

Convincing the consumer to part with those hard-earned dollars is a battle - one, we hope, every business is determined to win. Yet, one crucial tactic so many of us tend to overlook is how to make it easy for people to actually spend their money with us?

We've all heard those horror stories of customers standing, cash (or credit cards) in hand, product under their arms, waiting to buy? then simply giving up because the sales assistants are too busy yakking about last night's television show.

Well, the problem may not be quite so obvious, because real customer service takes many forms. But, it's time to sit back and give yourself the once-over ... I call it a reality check. Do it NOW? because now is as good a time as any.

Okay. Here's the fundamental question you need to consider:

Is it easy to do business with us?

Most of us would readily answer "Yes" ... but, are we really? My guess is that every business has a number of niggling little aspects that are taking the sheen off the relationship between them and their customers.

Some of you may be saying: "No, not here. We did a customer survey just last month and they love us."

That's great! But, what about all those old clients you haven't heard from in a while - or the ones that never got a chance to become customers? All those lost opportunities!

Others are probably wondering ...

What sort of things should we be doing better?

Many of our customers have found that it's the really obvious things relating to good service - such as; knowing who to call when there's a problem, not being kept waiting on the phone, or feeling that someone cares about their account, that someone actually calls them by name, that most customers value. As mundane as they sound, it's the accumulated effect of these types of service features that can either draw customers to you? or drive them away to your competitor.

One of our customers provides a classic example. He runs one of those old-style takeaway joints on the seafront, just far enough from the razzle-dazzle of one of the nation's premier tourist spots to have maintained a bit of quaint character about it.

The big yellow arches went up next door, and our customer's Sunday trade died in the pants.

He sat in the glorious sunshine, week after week, watching the mums and dads, in their wagons full of ankle-biters, fairly fighting to munch their way through a pre-cooked, pre-wrapped burger.

That was it! Down came the fish and chip sign and out went a big, bright blackboard that read: "Burgers - with the works. Made to order".

These days, that fellow just can't stop smiling. He offered his clients old-fashioned customer service - and they bought it.

So where to start? Email me for a full report.