Seven Ways to Leverage Your Happy Customers

By Kendra Lee, President, KLA Group

A satisfied customer, they say, is a company's best advertisement. But advertising only works if people see it.

So, how can you make sure you take advantage of your satisfied customers and leverage them to grow your business?

The first step is to determine how satisfied your customers truly are. Will they purchase from you again? Will they recommend your offerings to others? Will they go on the record and out of their way to help promote your company?

Many organizations use independent market research firms to poll customers to determine their level of satisfaction.

Others go even further. For example, PMV Technologies, a managed services provider based in Tory, Mich., conducts periodic management meetings with individual customers. "Our goal is to ensure we understand each customer's true business perception regarding the relationship," says Scott Groemmel, a PMV partner. PMV asks candid questions, addresses any relationship issues that arise, and leverages the strength of the relationship to grow their business.

"Relationships are key," agrees John Hlavac, director of business development at Array Services Group, a provider of outsourced services based on Sauk Rapids, Minn.

If customers are truly happy and value the relationship with your business, they will very likely be open to helping your business. By acting on the strength of this relationship, a company can leverage satisfaction to not only survive, but to expand.

Upon obtaining permission from the client, there are many ways to leverage a customer's satisfaction in sales and marketing efforts. Here are seven steps toward leveraging customer satisfaction.

1. Testimonials. If a customer is willing, ask if you can include their testimonials in press releases, Web sites, marketing collateral, letters of recommendation, newsletters and more. Expand on testimonials to gain publicity with local business journal articles, as well as on radio and television segments. This becomes an ideal PR opportunity for both you and your customer.
2. Customer references. Satisfied customers are often willing to serve as a reference for you to new prospects and in proposals. Document their story briefly in proposals in the event the prospect never contacts them.
3. Case studies. Excellent case studies can be developed by documenting a customer's challenges and how your company helped them overcome those challenges. A written case study can appear on a Web site, be used as a sales or direct mail piece, or included in a company newsletter.
4. Guest speaking. If you or your company attends or takes an active role in conferences, industry events or trade shows, ask a satisfied customer to jointly present their story with you to an audience that might have similar needs. "We ask if our customers are willing to speak on our behalf at conferences in the form of a case study about how they solved their challenges by using our services," says Dave Bieg, managing partner, Advanced Concepts Center (ACC), a learning solutions provider based in Roswell, Ga.
5. Executive Hour. Similar to inviting a customer to be a guest speaker, suggest that you partner on an executive breakfast, lunch, or after-hours session. Together, you and your customer can share important information while referring one another's services to the audience.
6. Referrals. Delighted customers will be more than happy to refer new business to you. Create a process within your organization to consistently ask customers for referrals. Integrate referral gathering into the job of all customer-facing employees. Everybody has an opportunity to listen and ask for new opportunities when a customer is delighted.
7. Account Penetration. Expand account coverage by encouraging sales people to use satisfied customers who value your relationship to ask for new contacts within large accounts and move into new departments, divisions, and regions.

The best referrals come from highly satisfied clients. If a client believes their services provider far exceeds expectations, it can serve as a valuable partner when it comes to expanding awareness for your company and generating new business.

"Customer satisfaction is no longer a goal, it's expected, and we can only earn customer respect and loyalty by consistently exceeding their expectations. If this is done, real growth can be stimulated by customer satisfaction," summarizes Hlavac, of Array Services Group.

If customers are happy, there's little reason not to put their overall satisfaction to good use. The key is to find the most effective way to share their message and leverage that satisfaction to grow your business.