…Most likely, nothing…because most DSRs and distributors take their best customers for granted.
Most distributors talk about how much their best customers love them; what a great relationship they have with them; and — that those great customers would NEVER think about changing to the other distributors—NEVER.
PROBLEM: Most distributors/DSRs are not proactively doing much of anything to make sure they keep and build the business they currently have. They might be taking care of their customer service issues as the pop up every week and think that’s good enough, but think again!!!!!
I learned the hard way…Never say Never…THINGS CHANGE…CUSTOMERS CHANGE.
SOMETHING to remember about these customers we’re talking about, YOUR BEST CUSTOMERS, is that they are the #1 target in your competitors’ Sales Funnel.
Your competitors are doing everything possible to try and lure your best customers AWAY FROM YOU and your company. Their best hot-shot business development Sales Mavericks are going into your best customer’s establishment every week offering them anything and everything trying to get them to switch. Heck, some of the largest distributors are offering up to 6% of their weekly purchases if they would switch over to them.
Action items that you should focus on today and especially at this time of year until next spring when the switching distributor season is past.
· Make the necessary investment of time, SERVICE and gratitude to your best customers, you know, the same investments you make in trying to secure new customers—show them and help them MAKE MONEY.
· Be available to your BEST customers WHEN THEY NEED YOU—and in this business, that’s 7 days a week! You might think I’m going a little overboard here, but your competitors would take their call any day, any time.
· Take your Sales Manager, VP, Owners, etc. out to your best customers and tell them thanks for doing business with you and your company.
· Set up quarterly “best customers meetings” with those customers and take different management folk with you on that call, like your Transportation Manager, Credit Manager, Inside Sales Manger, Warehouse Manager, CFO, CEO, heck, all the C-Dudes…
· How does your company respond to situations like this? A customer calls your company after hours to try and place an order because of an emergency situation of two busloads of patrons having just left and wiping the place out of most of its main inventory. How your company handles this will show you where your company needs work because THE DISTRIBUTOR THAT MAKES IT THE EASIEST TO DO BUSINESS WITH WILL EARN THE BUSINESS.
· Make sure you’re doing everything for your best customers that you’re doing for those prospects you’re working on and make them feel special.
