Cultivate your current customers

Robert G. Howard at CustomersThink recently wrote an article on cultivating your current customers. Often times, they're lost in the focus to attract new customers. If a company focuses on them, then the revenues generated from the existing customer can lead to a higher lifetime value at your company.

He related several ways you can do this for your customers:

1. Relate: Relate with your customers through regular and meaningful contact, observations, and ongoing interactions.
2. Retain: Retain your customers by creating barriers to switching to a competitor and create an atmosphere of exclusivity.
3. Expand: Expand your relationship with your customers by offering complimentary products and services on an ongoing basis.
4. Innovate: Keep your customers excited and engaged by surprising them with new product innovations or special bundles that are tailored just for them.
5. Analyze: Analyze your customer behaviors and cultivation activities to predict and anticipate future wants and needs.