Direct Marketing Letter Example

It was about 40 years since the marketing professor (and later guru) Dr. Philip Kotler coined the concept of the four P's marketing – product, price, place and promotion.

Although today is still valid, original four P Kotler not have as much application to customer retention, as they do for customer acquisition.

A set of four P's more appropriate for the area of customer retention are People, policies, processes / procedures and Prevention. Here are some thoughts on each of these attributes, and its importance in achieving higher levels of retention Client:

People – staff should be motivated, ability, and allowed to be customer-centric. TLC – thinking like a customer – should be the procedure operating standard. The staff must have a willingness to listen to customers' concerns and ask questions that reveal the exact nature of these concerns. Attention to the customer is accentuated by a coherent presentation of the ethics service. internal culture is to maximize the willingness of all staff to work well with coworkers and encourage the desire to learn jobs outside their immediate areas of responsibility. The most important wish is that the staff constantly display high energy and enthusiasm for their clients.

Objective: To not let people drive your customers away!

Policies – the policies musts be flexible, scalable and customizable. Remove the phrase "it is our policy" of the organization vocabulary. Educate and train staff, particularly front line staff, to interpret and apply corporate policies and guidelines on how to do business and attract customers. Policies that business ethics and concern that could have a significant impact on the profitability certainly be followed to the letter. However Therefore, policies that relate to internal processes and procedures, which have a direct impact on the ability of the organization to meet the needs each customer, should be used as guidelines to help employees handle specific customer situations.

Goal: do not let their policies wrath of their customers!

Processes / Procedures – these should be as simple and direct as possible, to provide greater convenience, speed, and easy access to its products and services to customers. Signature-based technologies and approval procedures should be faster for existing customers and prospects to new customers. When in doubt, reduce the heinous procedures and simplify processes for existing customers by giving higher levels of confidence. (A good example – why a hotel requires a credit card that a guest who stayed in the hotel numerous times before? After all, a host who returns with a record multiple of stay is unlikely to escape without paying the account.)

Goal: do not let reviews its procedures and processes inconvenience!

Prevention – one of my marketing is deeply rooted beliefs prevent complaints reviews is better than solving them. In my second job while in high school, the business owner taught me a favor, 7 P's of success in business (with apologies for the language): proper prior planning prevents poor performance of urination. To keep good customers, your organization has commit to quality (as defined by customer) from the top down and bottom up. Eliminate errors and eliminate many of the main reasons customers have to exit.

Objective: Do not allow mistakes causing their clients to leave!

How original four P Kotler, that they all focused inward. But unlike the traditional four P has learned all the basic courses in marketing, retention of the four P client are designed to be applied existing customers have already captured through the long tradition of the marketing mix.

Customer retention is the art of keeping good customers. The best art is applied through an approach focused on the four P customer retention – People, policies, processes / procedures and prevention.

Awaken the four P in your organization and see their levels of customer retention up to heights previously only dreamed of.

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