Customer Relationships = Business Building

To be effective at business building you need to invest in your clientele. Building into others and investing in them is what gives a good business great customer service.

The small business counselors at SCORE have made their 5 top tips for building customer relationships available.

1. Courtesy is always a high priority, but remember your customers need efficiency and an effective product or service as well; that's why they've come to you. Good manners alone will not get you repeat customers.

2. When feasible, meet with your customers face to face. Putting a name with a face can help the customer connect a real living breathing person with a business deal.

3. Thank your customers for referrals. A thank you is a great incentive for more referrals and repeat business. People welcome appreciation.

4. Go the extra mile or two. If you've misplaced something, missed a deadline, left out a detail or inconvenienced a customer in some way, it pays to make the extra effort by offering a discount or freebie.

5. Keep in touch. If a majority of your business is done on the web or over the phone, you will have to go out of your way to make sure the customer feels valued.

Building into your customers is a major investment in the future of your business. It doesn't necessarily take a lot of extra time or money, but the return on that investment is priceless. And your customers are the ones who won't forget it.

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