3 Keys To Managing Customer Relationships

By James Foxall, president and CEO, Tigerpaw Software

If there’s one thing I’ve learned after more than 25 years in the channel, it’s that new customers don’t come easy — or cheap.

Winning new business requires garnering trust from a potential customer — convincing them that you are the best provider to meet their needs. Keeping their business requires that you meet those needs.

It’s that second part that can be tricky. You can have the best, smoothest-talking salesperson in the world to get your foot in the door, but if you don’t have the skills to do the job, then any customer (new or old) can quickly become an ex-customer.

There’s a lot of competition in the channel, so it’s imperative that solutions providers leverage the right processes and tools to make sure that customers get the results and the value they expect. After all, customers are — and should be — primarily focused on running their own businesses. As a services provider in the channel, it’s your job to ensure that your customers’ network, devices, and applications are operating as efficiently and productively as possible.

Unfortunately, there are times when disconnects can occur between a solutions provider’s technical prowess, and their ability to understand and interpret customer needs. Many MSPs (managed services providers) are founded by smart techs that become businessmen, and some can find it a challenge to see past the technical side of the equation and focus on the customer side. With that in mind, here are three tips to help you better manage customers the right way. Remember, the better you can manage your customers, the more business you are likely to attract — and the more profits you will earn.

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