Form a relationship

By Gregory Krueger, president, Jefferson Beach Yacht Sales (Ranked 44 in 2005)

Strong customer relationships and unrivaled customer service have a direct relationship with each other, and, we believe, are two important ingredients for success. Having the ability to build strong relationships with your prospects is one of the first and most important qualities we must have from the moment we meet a potential client. I say this because our belief is that people want to do business with whom they like and trust the most. Knowing any potential client is probably also working with our competitors, it’s critical to ensure each and every encounter your prospect has with you and your organization is one which is extremely pleasurable, makes a long-lasting, positive impression on them, demonstrates your knowledge and instills trust.

The second part of the equation is displaying unrivaled customer service. When we are trying to earn a prospect’s business for the first time, the single most important feature we are selling is customer service. This can be a trying task because it’s easy to say your company has unrivaled customer service but is difficult to demonstrate it without having done business with them before. This is why it’s important that you make your prospect feel as comfortable as possible with you from the moment you first meet, because it gives you an edge on gaining their trust before you actually earn it. You can’t fully earn one’s trust until after you’ve made a prospect into a client. We do this by meeting all of their needs and meeting those needs beyond their expectations, just as we promised we would during the selling process. Once you have proven to have unrivaled customer service, the relationship and trust between you and your client strengthens, resulting in customer loyalty and retention.

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