Remember when you were first dating? To get to know the other person, you would spend a lot of time talking and doing things together. Afterward, you would call, send a gift, and keep in touch on a regular basis.
Just like dating, building strong customer relationships takes commitment, time, and constant contact. The best relationships are built over time in what I call “relationship building sessions”—dedicated time with customers for sharing a meal, attending a ball game, or doing something else enjoyable together.
In essence, you are dating your customers to build loyalty.
Customers want to do business with friends and people they know well, like, and trust. Contractors build trust by first doing a good job, and second by taking the time to get to know their customers personally.
Once you realize you are in the business of building relationships, your company will grow and become more profitable because of the loyal customers you’ve earned.
6 steps for developing loyal customers
1. Make customers your priority • Spend at least 33% of your time with customers in face-to-face sessions, which could include meals, sporting events, or industry meetings. I try to schedule at least two customer sessions per week plus one round of golf or sporting event with current or potential customers every month.
2. Help your customers • Before I meet with customers, I come prepared to share a business tip or strategy that can help their bottom line. People want to help those who help them, so look for ways to help your customers. At least four times a year, send something that could help them: supplier updates, magazine subscriptions, jobsite photos, code updates, or industry association research. Include a handwritten note like “I thought this could help your business” to reinforce that relationship.
3. Customer ranking • Make a list of all your customers from the last three years, and organize them by these categories: loyal, repeat, old, target, and referring parties. Next, rank them according to how easy they are to do business with and their potential to become loyal customers. After ranking them, list them in order of highest to lowest rank, then make sure you spend quality relationship time with the highest-ranked customers and the new targets you want to hit.
4. Spend time with top customers • Trusting relationships are built over time with lots of one-to-one contact, conversations, experiences, and fun. With your customers ranked, you know which ones are your top priority for quality relationship time. Track every meeting with customers and commit to seeing them at least every two to three months.
Your goal is to convert new targets into repeats, and repeats into loyal customers who will mainly use your company for their needs.
5. Be in the right place at the right time • In my own business, I noticed that subcontractors who spend a lot of time in our office get the most work. Is that luck? I don’t think so! By prioritizing customer relationships, you’ll land jobs simply by being in the right place at the right time.
6. Show you care • The No. 1 reason customers leave us is an attitude of indifference—they think we don’t care about them. Customers want to know we care about their business and their challenges, and them as people. Keep notes on each of your customers to track things like family, schools, hobbies, goals, vacations, activities, and major life events. Before you meet with them, refer to your notes and ask them about their personal life. A caring attitude will set you apart and solidify your relationships.
Building a loyal customer base is no different from building any lasting relationship. It takes time, consistency, trust, and genuine interest in the other person. If you stop dating your customers, someone else will gladly take them out to dinner. Keep dating them, and they will keep choosing you long after the competition has stopped calling.
George Hedley, CPBC, is a certified construction business coach and speaker. He helps contractors build better businesses, grow, profit, get organized, and improve estimating and field production. He is the best-selling author of “Turn your construction business into a profit-making machine!” available on Amazon. Visit HardhatBizcoach.com to schedule a free introductory coaching session, get his Hardhat Hedlines Biz-Tips e-newsletter, templates, videos, or webinars and workshops information.
