Nick Roberts 

So what exactly is CRM (or Customers Relationship Management)? One of the best definitions is "a method of selling products and services by recognising the value in building a relationship with prospects and customers".

Building an effective relationship requires trust, consistency, honesty, a willingness to give, doing what you say you are going to do and in particular, frequent contact and communication.

In these tough economic times CRM matters more than ever, so what can you do to ensure your prospects turn into customers and your customers keep coming back?

• Send personally addressed and signed thank you letters to new customers so that they will feel good about you and will remember you the next time you contact them
  
• Send customers information relevant to their needs
  
• Send only personalised emails or letters individually addressed
  
• Collect customer information at the time of sale
  
• Contact all customers who have not bought from you in the last so many months or years depending upon your business
  
• Advise your best customers of special offers or new products before the rest or non-customers
  
• Use just one database to collect information about your prospects and customers which allows effective communication on one-to-one basis
  
• Send special, personalised greetings on special occasions

In my next article I shall cover a couple of useful CRM tools at the lower end of the market cost-wise since as usual, automation and systemisation are the keys to saving time and money and effective and consistent implementation!

If you have any tax or business queries of any kind telephone 0800 ASK NICK, e-mail nick@abac.co.nz or use "Contact Us" on www.abac.co.nz. The information in this article is of a general nature and should not be relied upon as a substitute for specific advice.