The most valuable community is the one you already have
Summary
- Work hard to keep your current customers rather than focussing on bringing in new customers
Details
- Your current customers already like your product. You don't need to convince them. Keep them happy.
- Work hard to build your current community and network: friends, neighbours, family.
References
Quotes
In business, we often say that your best customers are the customers you have now. In other words, your most successful sales leads come from the selling you've already done. The highest returns don't come from new sales; they come on top of the customer base you've already established. It's easiest to reach out to those people who are at least tangentially part of your network. The big hurdles of networking revolve around the cold calls, meeting of new people, and all the activities that involve engaging the unknown. But the first step has nothing to do with strangers; you should start connecting with the people you do know. Focus on your immediate network: friends of friends, old acquaintances from school, and family. I suspect you've never asked your cousins, brothers, or brothers-in-law if they know anyone that they could introduce you to help fulfill your goals. Everyone from your family to your mailman is a portal to an entirely new set of folks
So don't wait until you're out of a job, or on your own, to begin reaching out to others. You've got to create a community of colleagues and friends before you need it. Others around you are far more likely to help you if they already know and like you. Start gardening now. You won't believe the treasures to be found within your own backyard
Related
- Give your time and resources to your community
- Social media gives the illusion of community without the practical benefits
- Have a networking strategy
- Build a network by helping people
- Plug into your friend network by sharing what you need
- The currency of real networking is not greed but generosity - Keith Ferrazzi