I asked my Mom and Dad, what their secret was to being happily married for over 60 years. They replied, “Knowing when to keep your thoughts to yourself.” Unfortunately, a lot of messages in today’s media are laced with sarcasm and put-downs, supposedly meant to be funny. We become so inured to this that we forget how hurtful these ‘witty’ quips can be to others. I’ve been through divorce myself (fortunately no kids at the time), and thankfully I’m now happily married with two daughters. Having been through the wars myself, I have to agree with my folks. Most often relationships – at home and at work – grow stronger when we resist the temptation to express every ‘innocent’ put-down, minor annoyance, and fleeting thought.

A manager in one of my seminars asked me to share an easy, low cost tip that would turn their existing customers (their office tower tenants) into raving fans. In response, I walked her and her property management team through these two scenarios; in both cases a tenant calls a property manager about a plumbing issue that has put their washroom out of service.

First case: The property manager books a plumber who then fixes the problem. End of story.

Second case: The property manager books a plumber. Plumber fixes problem and promptly texts property manager: repair completed. Property manager then phones the tenant advising her the washrooms are back in service. Tenant emails her coworkers: washrooms are back up and running.

Consider the difference in customer perception by merely reporting back when something is done. In the first case customers may be waiting all day; not realizing the washrooms are repaired. Second case, when the customer is informed when the works complete, they’re more likely to think, “Wow, that was fast. These folks are really on top of things!” Plus, the service provider has made the customer look like a hero to her colleagues. The service providers didn’t work harder or faster. They just reported back promptly. Takes seconds. Costs nothing. So, how are you and your team members when it comes to closing the customer communication loop?

Seems we're constantly reminded these days of the importance of 'reaching out' to others (can we please stop using that melodramatic cliché?). I agree that's it's helpful and therapeutic to communicate with customers, friends, and family during isolation. However, I believe even more important is whether we actually listen during those brief encounters. The research says we don't. That's a problem; particularly for people who are already feeling isolated.

University of Texas researchers concluded that the longer couples were together, the less likely they were to listen well to one another (I'm pretty sure my wife, Lydia concurs). Once we think we know someone, when they speak we mentally get ahead of them, drawing conclusions. We don't listen; we wait. Fortunately, as I share in my Trusted Advisor programs, to be stronger listeners we merely need to say two words: "Sounds like..." Those words force you to paraphrase your understanding of what the person just shared. So, next time you Zoom/ phone/ text your customers, friends, or family, remember those words. They're the difference between contacting and connecting.

Congratulations – you just made a sale! The customer trusted you enough to give you a try. That’s the good news. Unfortunately, having conducted sales training programs for over 25 years, I’ve also observed that gaining new customers also comes with bad news. Merely providing products or services as promised does not generate customer loyalty. Customers are too focused on their own lives and businesses to get excited about a single new supplier. All that effort that went into gaining that new customer and delivering on your promise often amounts to a single blip on your revenue screen.

Fortunately, by enhancing your customers’ perceived value of what they just purchased from you, you can leverage a first time sale into a virtual lifetime of loyalty and referrals. Here are four ways to convert a single sale into a cash cow.

Mention the next phases

Some customers may stop buying from you simply because they’re not aware of your other products and services. That’s why when you’re putting together a proposal, it’s helpful to mention that - providing they are delighted with this “phase one” - then in future they might consider phase two and three (which you mention briefly). Resist the temptation to overwhelm them with all your additional offerings. You simply want to plant the seed that there are logical next steps available after this one.

Follow-up fast

Soon after the product or service is delivered, contact the customer to confirm that they indeed received it and ask if they have any questions about using it. Also ask their opinion - things they like best about it. That kind of feedback is priceless when you talk with other potential customers. Then a few months later, if there is some sort of scheduled maintenance or follow-up step the customer should be doing, call them to offer to help them with it. That gesture helps customers realize you didn’t just make a sale and forget about them. Chances are they’ll thank you for your thoughtfulness. That’s a great time to ask them to pass your name along to others who they think might benefit from your services.

Put your extra value in writing

If there’s a service that will be delivered over an extended period, provide regular written progress updates. During our home renovation for example, the general contractor would give us bi-weekly reports. The simplified spreadsheet showed the project’s actual costs vs budget, along with a timeline showing the progress. With all the disruption in our home, it came as a pleasant surprise to receive regular reminders that our contractor was in fact under budget and ahead of schedule. Without those reports during the four month project, as a customer, I likely would have just focused on the noise, cost, and inconvenience. Those updates made us feel good about hiring him two years later when we did our next renovation.

Provide a pleasant surprise

I’m not referring to buying your customers gift baskets or giving them trinkets emblazoned with your logo. Nothing wrong with those things, but the gestures that have more impact are the extras you provide that are part of your service that the customer doesn’t expect. A body shop that fixed my car’s door dent, not only washed the whole vehicle; they detailed the interior. Plus they took the gear that was scattered in my truck and put it in a single cardboard box. Made me want to dent my door every six months! An HVAC specialist who fixed an air conditioning unit in our living room not only vacuumed the area he was working in - he also vacuumed the entire living room. I was hoping he could find work in the rest of house. You get the idea. Surprise customers with something visible that goes above and beyond the scope of the project. That’s when they’ll notice you, remember you, and reward you with their loyalty.

Bottom Line - Notice how none of the strategies I mentioned demand a lot of time or money? What they do require is upfront planning, and the realization of how much they can pay off. My clients who incorporate these approaches report significant boosts in revenues, customer reviews, and referrals. Certainly beats putting-in all the work required to make a new sale, and then being forced to hunt for a different customer.

A senior manager at a trucking company who’d brought me in to work with his leadership team remarked, “We’re too quick to send emails and texts. We should instead be opting to talk with our customers and team members.” He went on to explain how the impersonal tone of electronic communications has created misunderstandings and made people feel less connected to customers and coworkers. His company isn’t alone. In most organizations I work with, the sheer volume of electronic messages inadvertently discourages in-person conversations; undermining corporate culture and values. People feel like they have to bang off instant replies just to keep up. Too often, electronic messages sacrifice effectiveness on the throne of expediency. That’s why in our Trusted Advisor seminars we remind people about how much more you accomplish in a single conversation; be it in-person, via Zoom, or on the phone, than with multiple emails or texts.