The modern market demands constant effort and a dynamic approach to customers. In today’s article, a few words about what to remember when building customer relationships.
Clienting is a modern sales concept created by Edgar K. Geffroy, assuming that to achieve a business effect, it is necessary to build comprehensive, long-term relationships with the customer. Thanks to this network of direct connections, the consumer has the opportunity to react to all company behaviors, to various changes occurring in it, and to new products. They can share their comments, ideas, and improvement proposals also directly (online). Clienting differs fundamentally from marketing. Marketing is an idea of the mass market, while clienting takes the individual customer as the point of interest and focuses the company’s attention on a specific, not abstract, recipient.
The goal of clienting is to create an appropriate network of connections, which is intended to create pull from customers instead of pressure on them. Nothing more can be achieved through pressure - neither in the company, nor with existing recipients, let alone with new, completely uninterested and information-overloaded today’s customers. The company must absolutely adapt all new concepts and strategies to the customer, using the communication network with them. A company that expands cooperation with customers and uses the synergistic effects that partners bring is successful.
10 Iron Rules of Clienting:
RULE 1: Pursue the customer without any breaks, by all means that have a positive effect. The more ways to acquire a new customer that are tried, the better.
RULE 2: Don’t let the thread break. Once you manage to attract a customer to our company, you need to take care of the relationship.
RULE 3: Plan shared experiences. Look at the company-customer relationship like an interpersonal relationship. Building bonds occurs when we experience something together. The customer is not aware that by participating in a loyalty program, they are experiencing a specific event with the company.
RULE 4: Arrange events, meaning emotional connection. Birthdays, name days, holidays are times when we strengthen bonds in the family circle. Why couldn’t our company organize a Children’s Day event in a park where customers can bring their children? They could participate in games and receive a company balloon. And the customers themselves would get a free product sample. Strengthening bonds can also take place at the business level.
RULE 5: Do small favors. This could be free delivery of purchases, free ecological bags – there’s nothing stopping creativity in this matter.
RULE 6: Attract with information.
RULE 7: Assess customer potential. In a broader sense, this is about planning the relationship in terms of their needs and capabilities.
RULE 8: Analyze customer needs.
RULE 9: Create solutions that serve the customer. Combined with rule 8, this will contribute to a positive perception of the company.
RULE 10: Listen to and ask the customer, answer their questions. You have to know how to listen. Just like asking questions that are important from the perspective of needs assessment.
Author: EITT Team
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is clienting and how does it differ from traditional marketing?
Clienting is a sales philosophy created by Edgar K. Geffroy that focuses on building comprehensive, long-term relationships with individual customers rather than targeting mass markets. Unlike traditional marketing which pushes messages to broad audiences, clienting creates pull by establishing direct communication networks where customers actively engage with the company.
What are the key principles of building effective customer relationships through clienting?
The core principles include pursuing the customer consistently through multiple positive channels, adapting all strategies to the individual customer’s needs and leveraging the synergistic effects of partner relationships. Clienting emphasizes creating value through direct connections that allow customers to react to company changes and share feedback in real time.
How can organizations implement clienting in their sales strategy?
Organizations should start by shifting from mass-market thinking to individual customer focus, establishing direct communication channels and empowering teams to build personal relationships with key accounts. This requires investing in CRM systems, training sales teams in relationship-building skills and creating feedback loops that allow customers to influence product and service development.
Is clienting suitable for B2B companies or only B2C?
Clienting is particularly effective in B2B environments where long-term relationships and trust are fundamental to business success. The approach aligns naturally with B2B sales cycles, where buying decisions involve multiple stakeholders, higher contract values and ongoing partnerships that benefit significantly from deep, personalized customer engagement.