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Technology Converts Customers Into Raving Fans.
Guest Author - Loraine Rice

More often than not, small business owners try to grow their business by finding new customers.” When I hear this I smile and ask, “What about the

customers you currently have?”

Then I ask, “Do your customers know what other products or services you offer? Do you know what

else they need? Do you know if they have other problems you have solutions for?”

It takes more money to get a new customer than it does to keep an existing customer. Happy customers can be raving fans who send new

business your way, and that costs you nothing.

As a technology consultant I support and observe a wide range of small businesses. Some clients are clearly more successful than others, and the most successful clients seem to be those who turn one-time clients into repeat clients. They manage the process with a relatively inexpensive customized database that organizes crucial customer information. They have a systematic approach to managing customer information that helps them build and maintain ongoing relationships.

Small business owners often tell me that they have a lot of customer information in the accounting system but they have to pester the accountant to get it. To this I add, accounting systems were designed to count revenue and expenses and your customer doesn't care about your revenue or expenses, nor should they. If you want to understand and serve your customers you need more information.
A customized database gives you a complete view of your customers and prospects, helping you win and retain clients by putting valuable contact information at your fingertips, and automating a number of routine activities without sacrificing your bottom line.

It can maximize your time, increase productivity, streamline sales and marketing, and win and retain customers by giving you the information you need to build relationships and grow your business.

Case in Point #1:

I have a client in Bracebridge who uses a customized client database. This small business owner purchased a major paint store dealership and within 10 months of implementing the customized database his business increased substantially.

When a big-box store opened his growth continued while other small business owner felt the effect. What was he doing that allowed him to stand firm in the face of a Goliath  business?

He tracked numerous details including the colour, the finish, number and quantity of paint and accessories that each customer purchased. Word spread throughout town and no longer did customers have to retain paint chips or empty cans to repurchase the same colour used in their home or business.

These same customers didn’t even have to remember when they last purchased paintbrushes because this small business owner, after checking his database would say, “I noticed you didn’t buy any brushes in your last purchase. Do you need any?”

Customers loved his attention to their buying pattern and they spread the word about the level of service he provided to each customer and business continued to grow.

Case In Point #2:

A financial advisor approached me with a great client service idea but she had no time to implement the system required to manage it. That's ok because that's what I do! We implemented a customized database that automated the labor-intensive processes. One of the neat features in this systems was, at the end of the “new customer” cycle, at the click of a button, a customized letter went out asking for referrals. The first time the request for referrals went out, the financial advisor was provided with the names of two prospects. These two prospects became clients and they in turn gave two names of other people who could use this financial advisor’s services.
Within eight months of using the customized database, the financial advisor’s business increased by 50 percent in the same period from the previous year.

About the Data Base:

Both of these business owners chose to implement a customized version of GoldMine. The examples given here barely scratch the surface of what you can accomplish with a structured customer management system. 

Key benefits:

• Automate routine and repetitive tasks

• Track all sales and marketing activities

• Identify high-margin leads and high-value customers

• Proactively manage customers’ needs

• Manage customer information in one location
   

Key Features.

• Rich contact management - Instantly access your centralized customer and contact information, including complete histories

• Time management - Stay on top of your day with reminders, alerts and a complete view of your schedule

• Marketing automation - Automate mass mailings by easily generating targeted, personalized email, letters and faxes from a central location - and track results!

• Opportunity tracking - Get immediate updates for your pipeline and track products, prospects, revenue potential, and closing dates in real time.

• Reporting and analysis - Analyze leads, sales, and marketing so you can concentrate efforts on the strategies that are delivering results!

• Forecasting - Sort sales by product or probability and see weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly quotas.
  In conclusion, customers today are very astute and in control of who, what, where and why they make their purchases. In order to service the needs of today’s savvy customers, small businesses must know their customers’ needs and form a relationship with them. A customized database is an effective tool to accomplish this ongoing task.

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