Earn Small Business Loyalty By Helping Them Get Customers

One thing that most small business owners say they need is more customers.

Your small business customers will love you forever if you can help them make a sale.  That’s one of the points I got from watching Donny Deutsch’s Big Idea show last night.

Called Destination Millions, this particular episode featured four successful entrepreneurs revealing their secrets for becoming successful.  Without exception they all told stories of someone who gave them their first big break or a big order.  Despite their success and fame, they all remember that one person.  With Jim Koch, the founder of Samuel Adams beer, it was the owner of a bar.  For Sara Blakely of Spanx, it was the Neiman Marcus buyer who agreed to give her just ten minutes of time if she flew to Texas.

It also reminds me of a friend of mine, now deceased.  His business was on the brink of going out of business, and then a $3 million order arrived from Harley Davidson, giving him his big break.  Forever afterward, he was loyal to Harley Davidson, even though he had his differences with the company from time to time.  He even sued them once for patent infringement (and settled it), but he still was intensely loyal.

You don’t have to give every small business a $3 million order to earn their loyalty.  

If you just help your small business customer make a sale or even market their own businesses, they will remember you forever. Warmly. Do something unexpected that helps grow their business, such as:

• Throw a networking event every so often, where they can meet movers and shakers.

• Do some personalized matchmaking, introducing your small business customers to key players in their industry.

• Forward their newsletter to others who could potentially become their customers.

• Include them in customer spotlights on your site and give them a link back directly to their own websites, or include them in a company video, or otherwise highlight their business.

• Recommend them to journalists who are working on stories so that they can get media coverage.

Earn customer loyalty by helping them grow their businesses.