The fundamental idea behind a customer success “touch cadence” is based on the myth that merely talking to customers improves retention. That’s wrong!
In fact, doing so can actually damage the relationship by teaching the customer that interacting with you is pointless.
That’s why I call this practice “INAPPROPRIATE TOUCHING”.
But wait, shouldn’t we engage with our customers?? Of course! Customer engagement is critical!
But the reason to engage isn’t simply to “build the relationship” but because every interaction is an opportunity to create CUSTOMER BONDING.
•• Customer Bonding is when your customer sees you and your company as a key component of their success! ••
That means the focus of every interaction is bringing the customer closer to results and then improving their results.
The key to customer engagement is to:
ADD REAL VALUE TO THE CUSTOMER EVERY TIME YOU ENGAGE.
Some Quick Ideas for Adding Value to Customers:
• Teach them actions they can take right now to get better results.
• Show them their latest measured results and explain why they are what they are.
• Share examples of what other customers have done to get good results.
• Provide tips and resources to help your champion convince others to support their efforts.
• … and there are many more ways to add value...
Here’s the key… Before you “touch” a customer, always ask: "What value can I add right now to this customer?"
If you can’t think of something of real value to the customer, DIG HARDER! You and your organization have a lot of valuable expertise to offer.
NEVER merely “touch” a customer and risk sending the message that you are ok wasting their time.
