EVENTS CALENDAR


ASSOCIATE COUNCIL LUNCHEON Thursday, February 3 11:30 a.m. at GHBA


Topic: TBA


Cost: $10/person $15 at the door Sponsorships available!


ASSOCIATE COUNCIL LUNCHEON Thursday, March 3 11:30 a.m. at GHBA


Topic: TBA


Cost: $10/person $15 at the door Sponsorships available!


ASSOCIATE COUNCIL LUNCHEON Thursday, April 7 11:30 a.m. at GHBA


Topic: TBA


Cost: $10/person $15 at the door Sponsorships available!


ASSOCIATE COUNCIL BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Keith Rodgers, HomeTeam Pest Defense


Vice President: Denny Patterson, Airtron Houston


Secretary: Beth Avalos, Floors Inc.


Treasurer: Tony Boilek, Sherwin-Williams Paint Co.


Past President: Jim Wyatt, MasterBrand Cabinets


INFO/SPONSORSHIPS: Peggy Means 281.970.8970 x161 pmeans@ghba.org


ASSOCIATE COUNCIL NEWS Seven Keys to Customer Retention T


he Associate Council held its first meeting/mixer of the year on Friday,


January 7. I would like to thank Newmark Homes’ Mike Moody for speaking to us about the GHBA Benefit Homes Project. Thanks also to Woodforest National Bank, meeting sponsor. We appreciate their support and always welcome companies to step up as sponsors.


Be sure and look at the schedule for new upcoming events, like the Chili & Salsa Cookoff on Friday, February 18. When is the last time you had a good bowl of chili and "Home-Aid" ice cream?


Sales Tips from the Boyens Group


Recently I attended a seminar with John Boyens and walked away with some good sales tips. I'd like to share those here.


2011 Associate Council President Keith Rodgers, CGA, CSP, CGP, HomeTeam Pest Defense


Today, more than ever before it’s critical to get and keep customers! Most businesses in the U.S. generate the majority of their revenue by maintaining and cross-selling their existing customers. According to the Harvard Business Review the cost to replace lost customers can be six to seven times more expensive than winning their business in the first place. Studies show that a mere 5% increase in customer retention can result in profit increases of 20 to 80% for most businesses. Here are the seven keys to customer retention and cross-selling:


ANNUAL SPONSOR


1. Know your customer’s world: What makes them unique? What are their specific needs? What causes them to take action/ buy? What would keep them from buying?


2. Deliver flawless results: To establish long-term customer relationships it is critical that you flawlessly deliver every benefit and value you promise. That is the key to a customer’s respect, trust and loyalty.


3. Develop a proactive plan: Understanding


your customer’s world and doing first-rate work are essential for creating a loyal clientele. In addition you must develop a proactive plan that articulates how you will retain and grow your customer base. Without a plan, you'll drift from project to project, relying mostly on luck.


4. Uncover “needs”: To retain customers, focus on driving customer satisfaction. Rather than just making a sale and then moving on to the next customer, savvy salespeople are turning themselves into "account managers" in addition to salespeople.


5. Manage expectations: You need to manage expectations. This means from both a positive (proactive communication) and negative perspective. Let me give you an example. Customers with unrealistic expectations with regard to what they want and/or what you can deliver will never be satisfied. They'll just waste your time and then ultimately take their business elsewhere.


6. Keep your name in front of your customer: Maintain communications. Reach out to the customer four times a year at a minimum. Call them, drop by, take them to lunch, etc. Make sure you use technology (i.e., email, social media, etc.) to proactively manage your customer contact.


7. Assume nothing: No matter how good you are, never assume you've got a loyal client. Complacency never fosters loyalty. A client's trust and loyalty can be lost if a salesperson gets cocky or lets performance slip…even on just one interaction.


Remember…You don’t need to provide excellent customer service to all your customers…just the ones you want to keep!


Article excerpted from "Sales Tip: 7 Keys to Customer Retention" by John Boyens, Boyens Group®. For more, visit boyens.com or call (615) 776-1257.


GREATER HOUSTON BUILDERS ASSOCIATION – BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE | HOUSTON BUILDER | FEBRUARY 2011 37


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50