Relationship Marketing is often one of the most underestimated tools in the marketing toolbox.  Most businesses and sales people take for granted the power that relationship marketing strategies can have on the growth and sustainability of their business.

Most businesses spend substantial amounts of marketing dollars in all types of marketing campaigns or marketing promotions. Some of these marketing campaigns may be business to business marketing or even business to consumer marketing campaigns. Usually it is done in a “shotgun” type approach, in order to capture new customers and generate new sales. Once the sale is completed they move on to the next new customer in order to generate a new sale and thus repeat the cycle until they achieve their targets or quotas. Not a bad strategy for acquiring new customers but costly in the long run if this is the only tool in the marketing strategy toolbox.

Getting caught in this cycle of continually looking for new customers can leave your most valued asset, your past or existing valued customers, unattended and unappreciated. If the customer relationship is not properly nurtured or if they had an experience that did not meet their expectations chances are you will lose those customers, which by the way took you quite some effort and money to acquire. One must implement a customer relationship marketing strategy in order to be intentional about nurturing and retaining customers and making sure they become loyal customers.

Through relationship marketing you can be intentional by showing your customers appreciation and gratitude. It is not something that is done once and then you walk away from it. It is something that takes time to develop and cultivate. It must become part of your customer relationship management program. Customers that feel valued and appreciated are happy customers and have a tendency to continue doing business with you and more importantly telling all their friends about you and your product. Customer loyalty and referrals are a byproduct of a customer relationship management program well executed.

One of the challenges in generating referrals is how to create “top of mind” awareness if you are in an industry where you only do business with your customers once every so many years, such as real estate agents, insurance agents, mortgage brokers, contractors, and other similar professions. The solution to this challenge requires a well executed plan to be in constant contact with our customers throughout the year. This could be done with phone calls, emails, newsletters, greeting cards, flyers, and other such forms of communication.

The downside to using electronic media is that it may never get delivered and/or viewed by the intended recipients with so many email spam blockers out in the market place. A phone call would be the most effective means of communication but requires much time in an era where time is our most scarce resource. That leaves us with the handwritten note as the most effective means to reaching out to our customers that is highly personal and appreciated by most.

With about 97% of our mail today being considered junk mail, receiving a handwritten note in the mail can have a great impact with our customers. It is a simple yet subtle way of staying in touch with them throughout the year and especially during the holidays and other festive times of the year.

People will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust. Customer relationship marketing strategies are about getting those people who know you to like and trust you.