We live in a world in which most of us travel a lot. Chances are you’ve been on a holiday involving a long-haul (or at least medium-haul) flight in recent months. And if, like me, you’re at the stage of life when your children are providing you with grandchildren, you may be used to dropping everything and driving a fair distance to help out.
And then, of course, there are the journeys we make for our customers.
The Growth of Business Travel
It’s really only a few generations since, from where I work in Ware, travelling to London on business would have been a major event. Going much further afield was rare indeed — unless you were a travelling salesman, that butt of many questionable jokes.
Business is far more mobile today. A journey of thirty or forty miles each way to see a customer or attend a business networking meeting is unremarkable now. And, in a more joined-up world, many of us see nothing unusual in paying regular trips to visit clients or colleagues in another country.
Of course, in some ways there’s also less need for journeys, with video conferencing able to take the place of many face-to-face meetings. But that just seems to have increased contact, rather than replacing now routine business travel.
Going the Extra Mile
Unfortunately, for some business owners it’s one thing to travel forty miles each way to a business meeting, but another to go the extra mile for their customers. In the end, though, that can be what makes the difference between a successful or unsuccessful business.
Unless you’ve found a really unusual niche, the chances are you have plenty of competitors. More to the point, the chances are that most of them do the basics as well as you do — or almost as well, at least. So that’s where added value comes in.
Keep in Touch
Keeping in personal contact with your customers and prospects can make a big difference. While a mass email is a valid marketing tool, phoning up periodically or arranging meetups will help them feel much more valued. Similarly, while you might send your loyal customers a gift at Christmas, it’ll have far more effect if it comes with a handwritten note.
A certain amount of give and take will make all the difference, too. Although you don’t want to routinely give work away, adding the odd free extra now and then for one of your regular customers can show how you value them. You’re likely to eventually reap the rewards, both in loyalty and spreading the word.
Do you want more suggestions on ways to travel further for your customers? You’re very welcome to get in touch with us for a chat.