DBE Series 4
How can we get more chances to quote from our customers?
Stay knowledgeable about their upcoming projects that you can participate in.
Provide above average customer service – clear communication across all areas from project planners, architects, engineers, and accounts payable and every touchpoint you have in the business. Make working with you warm, friendly, and above all else, easy – make it a joy for them to work with you.
Stay relational – not transactional. An idea can be to listen when they’re open to other types of conversations – perhaps causes they are excited about. If you’re also happy, feel comfortable talking with them on this personal level. Be brief and follow their lead and be real – authentic.
Keep them updated about what’s new in your business – new equipment, tools, business development programs you’re participating in, new employees – perhaps new back-office admins who you’ve hired to support their needs. Be fully transparent here.
If you’re working on streamlining your processes or saving money on business expenses, let them know. That way, they know you will pass on the savings to them. To learn ideas about cutting costs, please check out my article here.
Create an open-door policy with them. Don’t just contact customers when you need something. Contact them when you find a solution that could help them.
Always be on the lookout to share ideas or resources to help them.
And finally, the quality of your work has to be superb, and it has to be smooth. It really has to be a joy to work with you. On-time, responsive, responsible, cost-conscious, organized… think about how your business is designed to wrap around their needs but also to be flexible and adaptable enough to flow when they flow.
Janet Johnson is a small business advisor and author of My Money Pivot: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Finding & Making More Money and this educational blog. All views expressed belong solely to Ms. Johnson and do not represent the views of her employer.