How to Engage Customers

Proven ways to improve a customer retention management strategy

October 29, 2008
Edited by: Ken Beaulieu in: Customer Retention Strategy

It’s one thing to excel at what you do, and quite another to get the word out. Phil Fragasso, a loyalty marketing professional with more than 25 years in the field, provides some helpful advice in his book Marketing for Rainmakers: 52 Rules of Engagement to Attract and Retain Customers for Life. Rainmakers, in his definition, are people and organizations that deliver a service of immense value or solve tough problems. But they aren’t always great at marketing themselves. Here are some of his suggestions to improve your customer retention program:

Distill your message to its essence. Too much wordage means more chance of misunderstanding, more possibility of raising concerns, making the simple sound complicated, and losing the audience’s engagement. Whatever business you’re in, your target audience will distill your message down to a single sentence. Do it for them and deliver the message you want.

Instill belief in your product. If your people truly believe they are bringing value with what you do, they’ll transform from workers to evangelists. Fragasso cites top companies such as Apple, Starbucks, and Target that have developed a cult-like devotion among employees and customers.

Stay on message. Consistency is paramount in building a powerful brand as part of a client retention strategy. The Marine Corps is the smallest branch of service but also the most well-known and highly regarded. Fragasso cites its simple, well-known motto: “The few, the proud, the Marines.” At the opposite end of the spectrum, McDonald’s has broadened its menu over time but has never wavered from its original proposition as an affordable venue for a family meal.

Return to the beginning. It’s always worthwhile to ask: Why are we doing this? What would happen if we didn’t? If I were starting from scratch, what would I do differently?

For more customer retention tips, download the October issue of FuelNet Monthly, an 8-page newsletter designed to help owners and managers of companies of every size maximize their marketing opportunities and grow their business. Other issue highlights include: