Chapter 22 Chapter 21 Customer Relationship Management

In the 21st century, with the acceleration of global economic integration and the intensification of competition, enterprises have gradually changed from the traditional extensive management mode centered on products and scale to customer-centric, service-oriented, realizing customer value and achieving The transformation of the intensive operation and management model to maximize the profit of the enterprise, good customer relationship is an important resource for the survival and development of the enterprise.In order to obtain a satisfactory customer relationship, an important idea for an enterprise is to implement a customer relationship management project.

Customer relationship management is one of the important responsibilities of sales staff. Through scientific and effective analysis and management of customers, sales staff can understand the needs of customers and their development trends, so as to make correct judgments on market demand and take corresponding measures. The countermeasures meet the needs of customers, truly be customer-centric, and improve the sales performance of the enterprise. According to different basis, there are many ways to classify customers. Here, customers are divided into five categories according to the distance between the customer and the enterprise, and the density and density of the relationship: non-customers, potential customers, target customers, actual customers and lost customers. client.

1. Non-customers Non-customers refer to those who have nothing to do with the company's products or services or are hostile to the company and are unlikely to buy the company's products or services. 2. Potential customers Potential customers refer to the group of people who have needs and desires for the products or services of the enterprise, and have the ability to purchase, but have not yet produced purchase behavior.For example, pregnant mothers are likely to be potential customers for infant and toddler products. 3. Target customers The target customer is the group of people that the company tries to develop into a real customer after selection.For example, Rolls-Royce takes social celebrities with high status or people who have achieved great achievements as their target customers.

The difference between potential customers and target customers is that potential customers refer to customers who actively "target" the company and are likely to buy but have not yet made a purchase; target customers are customers who are actively "targeted" by the company and have not yet made a purchase.Of course, customers and enterprises can appreciate each other at the same time, that is to say, potential customers and target customers can overlap or partially overlap. 4. Real customers Actual customers refer to the actual buyers of the company's products or services, which can be divided into three categories: initial purchase customers, repeat purchase customers and loyal customers.

(1) The first-time purchase customer (new customer) is the customer who makes the first trial purchase of the company's products or services. (2) Repeat purchase customers refer to customers who purchase the company's products or services for the second time or more. (3) Loyal customers are customers who continuously and directionally purchase the company's products or services repeatedly. 5. Lost customers Lost customers refer to customers who used to be customers of the company, but due to various reasons, now no longer buy the products or services of the company. The above five types of customers are fluid and can be transformed into each other.For example, once a potential customer or target customer takes the purchase behavior, he or she becomes the first-time buyer of the company; if the first-time buyer often purchases the same company’s products or services, he may develop into a repeat buyer or even a loyal customer of the company; but , first-time purchase customers, repeat purchase customers, and loyal customers will also become lost customers due to more attractive conditions of other companies or because of dissatisfaction with the company; and if the lost customers are successfully restored, they can directly become repeat purchase customers or loyal customers , if irretrievable, they will be lost forever, becoming non-customers of the enterprise.The customer flow mode is shown in Figure 21-1.

Loyal customers come from repeat buyers, repeat buyers come from first-time buyers, and first-time buyers come from potential customers and target customers.It can be seen that if an enterprise wants to obtain as many loyal customers as possible, it must strengthen the management of repeated purchase customers, and to obtain as many repeat purchase customers as possible, it must strengthen the management of first-time purchase customers, and to obtain as many first-time purchase customers as possible, Potential customers and target customers must be managed. 1. Management of potential customers and target customers

Although potential customers and target customers have not purchased the company's products or services, they are customers who may conduct transactions with the company in the future.When they become interested in the company's products or services and contact the company through certain channels, the company should introduce the products or services in detail, patiently answer their various questions, and help potential customers and target customers establish a good understanding of the company and its products or services. Confidence and recognition of service, which is the key to promote the establishment of trading relationship with enterprises.The management goal of potential customers and target customers is to develop them into first-time purchase customers, and then train them to become repeat purchase customers and even loyal customers.

Although potential customers and target customers have not yet had a transaction relationship with the company, and the company has no way to record and track their transaction behavior data, it does not mean that the company cannot make reasonable judgments on the value of potential customers and target customers.Enterprises can still collect data reflecting the basic attributes of potential customers and target customers (such as age, gender, income, education level, marital status, etc.) through other channels other than transactions, and then use these attribute data to analyze their potential value.

2. Management of first-time purchase customers The goal of managing first-time customers is to develop them into loyal or repeat customers. Although the first-time buyers have initially recognized the company and accepted the company's products, the experience of the first-time buyers during the initial transaction with the company and the value judgment of the purchased products will affect their future. Willingness to keep doing repeat transactions with businesses - if the first purchase doesn't feel good, chances are there won't be a second one. The first purchase is a critical stage of customer growth. Enterprises should conduct the first transaction with customers with the goal of establishing a lifelong relationship with customers, so that products and services meet or exceed the expectations of first-time customers.In addition, enterprises should skip media advertisements aimed at the general public, conduct personalized communication with first-time buyers, maintain contact and communication with them, take care of and care for them, and try their best to provide products or services that meet their individual needs. Establishing a relationship of mutual trust with them is the basis for getting first-time buyers to do business again.

Usually, it is difficult for an enterprise to collect complete customer information in the first transaction, and it needs to improve customer information in the course of repeated transactions.Therefore, compared with loyal customers, it is difficult for companies to make a well-founded and effective judgment on the value of first-time purchase customers.At this time, enterprises should pay attention to collecting and accumulating each transaction data of subsequent purchases of initial purchase customers, and track and improve other information of initial purchase customers in order to prepare for future customer value evaluation.

3. Management of repeated purchase customers and loyal customers Studies have shown that the success rate of selling to potential customers and target customers is 6%, while the success rate of selling to first-time buyers, that is, new customers, is 15%.Sales to repeat customers and loyal customers, that is, the success rate of old customers is 50%. It can be seen that the management of repeat customers and loyal customers is the focus of customer management.Enterprises should work hard to establish contact with these customers, listen to their opinions, communicate with them, and then improve products or services in a timely manner according to their requirements.At the same time, provide "special care" to these customers, and even set up a special department to manage and serve these customers, so as to deepen the emotional integration with them. Loyal customers continue to maintain the highest level of trust and loyalty to the company and its products or services; on the contrary, if the company does not pay enough attention to repeat buyers and loyal customers, it may cause them to lose, or even become non-customers - never buy the company again products or services, the enterprise will be in crisis. In short, the management of all kinds of customers must be interlocked, from potential customers and target customers to first-time buyers, repeat buyers and loyal customers, the tracking management must be strengthened, and must not be relaxed. Target customers are based on market segmentation, analyze, research and predict the profitability, demand potential, and development trend of each segmented customer group, and finally choose according to their own conditions, market conditions and competition conditions. And to determine one or several segmented customer groups, companies must of course choose good customers when choosing target customers. 1. What kind of customer is a good customer A good customer refers to a customer whose "quality" is good and who contributes a lot to the company. At least the income brought to the company is higher than the cost of the company's products or services. This is basically a good customer. client.In other words, the minimum condition for a good customer is to be able to bring profits to the company.Philip Kotler defines a profitable customer as: an individual, family, or company that generates a continuous stream of income, whose long-term revenue to the business should exceed the cost of attracting, selling, and servicing that customer over the long-term acceptable cost.Generally speaking, a good customer usually needs to meet the following requirements: (1) The purchase desire is strong, the purchasing power is strong, and there is a large enough demand to absorb the products or services provided by the enterprise, especially the purchase of high-profit products of the enterprise. (2) It can guarantee the profit of the enterprise, has low sensitivity to price, pays in time, and has a good reputation-reputation is the basis of cooperation. Customers who do not pay attention to reputation cannot cooperate no matter how good the conditions are. (3) The service cost is relatively low, and it is best not to require much service or to have low service requirements.But the service cost here is relative, not absolute data comparison.For example, if the service cost of a large customer is 200 yuan and the bank's net income is 100,000 yuan, then the service cost of 200 yuan is insignificant; while the service cost of a small customer is 10 yuan, but the bank's net income is only 20 yuan , although the service cost of 10 yuan is much smaller than 200 yuan in absolute value, but the relative service cost is many times larger. (4) The operation risk is small and there is good development prospect.For example, the criteria for a bank to select a good loan client are as follows: the client's operating status, growth, core competitiveness, financial strength, cooperation potential, as well as the state's support status and legal restrictions all have an impact on the client's business risk. big impact.Enterprises should conduct a comprehensive, objective, and long-term analysis of the customer's development background and prospects, so as to make an accurate judgment. (5) Let the company do what it is good at. By putting forward new requirements, it will kindly teach the company how to surpass the existing products or services, so as to improve the service level of the company. (6) Be able to correctly handle the relationship with the enterprise, have a high willingness to cooperate, have high loyalty, and actively establish a long-term partnership with the enterprise.In short, a good customer is a customer who can bring as much profit as possible to the enterprise while occupying as little resources as possible. Relatively speaking, a bad customer is: (1) Only a small part of products or services are purchased from enterprises, but there are many requirements, which cost enterprises a high service fee, so that the cost consumed by enterprises far exceeds the income they bring to enterprises. (2) Do not pay attention to reputation, bring bad debts, bad debts, bad debts and lawsuits to the enterprise, and bring negative benefits to the enterprise. They are a group of "worms" who consume the assets of the enterprise all the time. They may make the enterprise lose money Lose all! (3) Let the company do things that it is not good at or can't do, distract the company's attention, make the company change its direction, and separate from the company's strategy and plan.It should be noted that good customers and bad customers are relative terms. As long as certain conditions are met, they may be transformed into each other. Good customers can also become bad customers, and bad customers can also become good customers.Therefore, don't think that customers who are good for a while are always good. Enterprises should use a dynamic perspective to evaluate whether customers are good or bad.If the enterprise does not pay attention to grasping, understanding and tracking the dynamics of customers in a timely and comprehensive manner, such as the customer's capital turnover, assets and liabilities, and profit distribution, it will be too late when a good customer turns into a bad customer. 2. Big customers are not equal to good customers Usually, a customer with a large purchase volume is called a big customer, and a customer with a small purchase volume is called a small customer. Obviously, a large customer is often the focus of all enterprises.However, if you think that all big customers are good customers, and compete for and keep big customers at all costs, this is a misunderstanding, and the company will take risks for it.This is because many large customers have many problems. (1) The financial risk is high.Large customers usually require credit sales in terms of payment methods, which will easily cause a large amount of accounts receivable for the company, and a longer account period may bring financial risks to the business operation, so large customers are often prone to become "big debtors" ", and even make enterprises bear the risk of bad debts, bad debts, and bad debts.For example, the American energy giant Enron collapsed overnight, and Arthur Andersen, which provided services to it, was implicated and went bankrupt.This example is a good example of how scale can sometimes only bring greater risk. (2) The profit risk is high.Big customers have the common problem of big customers. The bigger the customer, the bigger the temper and airs!In addition, the benefits that big customers expect to obtain are also great. Some big customers will rely on their strong buyer advantages and bargaining power, or use their own special influence to bargain with companies, and propose to companies such as price reductions, price discounts, forced sales, etc. Additional requirements for claiming rebates, providing value-for-money services, and even occupying funds for free.Therefore, these customers with large orders often not only fail to bring great value to the enterprise, but also fail to bring the expected profit to the enterprise, but instead make the enterprise fall into a passive situation and reduce the profit level of the enterprise.For example, many large retailers cleverly set up entry fees, sponsorship fees, advertising fees, franchise fees, promotion fees, and shelf fees, which put a lot of pressure on the funds of the company (supplier or manufacturer) and increase the company's profits. risk. (3) Management risks are high.Large customers tend to abuse their powerful market operation capabilities to disrupt market order, such as selling goods together, raising or lowering prices without permission, etc., which will have a negative impact on the normal management of the company, especially posing a threat to the survival of small customers, while the market needs These small customers play the role of filling in gaps. (4) The risk of loss is high.On the one hand, fierce market competition often makes big customers the targets of many merchants, and big customers are easily corrupted, lured and betrayed.On the other hand, under the background of economic surplus, products or services are becoming more and more homogeneous, the differences between brands are getting smaller and smaller, and the risk of major customers choosing new partners is constantly decreasing.These two aspects determine that the possibility of major customer loss has increased, and they may defect from the company at any time. (5) Often start from scratch.Large customers often have strong strength, and it is easy to adopt a vertical integration strategy, develop their own brands, and operate the same products as the enterprise. For example, the boss of Henderson Albert was originally a distributor of celebrity handheld computers, but it turned out to use its own channel advantages to establish itself. .It can be seen that not all big customers are good customers, and it is usually not the customer with the largest purchase volume that brings the greatest profit and value to the company.In addition, group purchases may not always be good customers, because group purchases may not be loyal to the company. Like group purchase gifts, they tend to pursue fashion and always buy what is popular, and cannot continuously and permanently create profits for the company. 3. A small customer may be a good customer In terms of what kind of customer is a good customer, it should be measured from the customer's lifetime value.However, many companies usually lack strategic thinking. The understanding of good customers is only focused on customers who can bring profits to the company in the immediate future. They only pursue short-term and immediate benefits, regardless of long-term interests, and rarely consider customers. How much profit can be brought in a short period of time.Therefore, some customers who cannot bring profits or even some losses temporarily, but have great potential for development in the long run, do not attract enough attention from the company, and are often even abandoned, let alone get support from the company.In fact, small customers are not equal to low-quality customers. Overemphasizing the profits brought by current customers to the enterprise may result in ignoring the future cooperation potential of customers.Because today's good customers have also gone through the establishment stage, and there is also a process from small to large. It can be seen that to measure the value of customers to the enterprise, we must use a dynamic perspective and judge from the growth potential, growth potential and long-term value of customers to the enterprise.Some small and medium-sized customers with excellent performance in the growth stage, such as some small and medium-sized high-tech enterprises, can often quickly grow into large customers and may become good customers once they receive strong support. To support customers is to support oneself to a large extent, because customers and enterprises are in the same value chain, and the fundamental interests are the same. Only when customers develop can they generate more and more demand for their products or services.Therefore, enterprises should be good at discovering and decisively selecting potential small customers who can change from "ants" to "elephants", give key support and training, and even consider cooperating with management consulting companies to improve the "potential" of small customers. quality".In this way, after small customers grow stronger under the care of the company, their demand for the company's products or services will also expand accordingly, and they will repay their kindness, have feelings for the company that cultivated them, and have stronger loyalty.Today, when almost all high-quality customers are divided up by major companies, this is obviously a good way to cultivate high-quality customers. 1. Door-to-door access The door-to-door visit method, also known as the carpet search method, refers to the method in which the salesperson visits the target customers door-to-door in the activity area of ​​the selected target customer group, and then persuades them.Generally speaking, the number of customers successfully developed by salesmen using this method is directly proportional to the number of people visited. If you want to get more customers, you have to visit more people. 2. Meeting The meeting search method refers to the method of capturing opportunities to establish contact with target customers in various meetings attended by target customers, such as order fairs, procurement meetings, trade fairs, exhibitions and expositions, and looking for opportunities to develop customers.For example, publishing houses take advantage of the opportunity of the National Book Fair to gather large and small bookstores and libraries from all over the country, contact and talk with them, and strive to cultivate them as their customers.Pay attention to skills when using the meeting-finding method, otherwise it is easy to arouse the other party's resentment. 3. Club Birds of a feather flock together and people are divided into groups. Everyone has their own small circle and specific activity place. Therefore, if you can enter the social circle of your target customers, it will be easier to develop it and your chances of winning will be greater. For example, people who play golf are usually people from the high-income class. In order to get in touch with such people, an insurance salesman named Xiao Zhang worked very hard and spent a lot of money to join a golf club. He had the opportunity to often exchange skills with these high-income people and make friends with them... As a result, he signed many large insurance policies. 4. Look for old friends and relatives Make a list of the relatives and friends you have come into contact with, and then visit them one by one, trying to find ways to find your customers among these relatives and friends.Everyone has a network, such as classmates, fellow countrymen, colleagues, etc., and can rely on the network for customer development. 5. Data query The data query method refers to the method of finding target customers by querying the target customer's data.The available information is as follows: (1) Telephone directory - records the name, address and telephone number of the company or institution. (2) Register of group members—such as the register of publication subscribers, the register of association members, the register of shareholders of joint-stock companies, the register of companies in the industry, the register of industrial and commercial enterprises, etc. (3) License issuing agencies - such as business licenses, alcohol and tobacco monopoly licenses, driver's licenses, etc. (4) Tax registers—a list of persons who help determine a certain financial scope, to whom high-end goods such as cars and buildings can be marketed. (6) The information published in newspapers and magazines - such as the establishment of new companies, the opening of new stores, the construction of new projects, etc., often requires a variety of products, and they may all become customers of the enterprise. 6. Consultation search method The consulting search method refers to the method of finding target customers by using paid consulting services provided by information service agencies. (1) The advantages of the consultation search method are convenient and fast, saving time. (2) Disadvantages of consulting search method It is difficult to judge the reliability of consulting agencies.In addition, the cost is relatively high, and general consulting agencies provide paid services. 7. The "hound dog" approach The "hound dog" method, also known as the entrusted assistant method, refers to the method of entrusting someone who has contact with the target customer to assist in finding the target customer.The occupations of the entrusted assistants are all in the industries that directly use the promotional products or in the industries related to them, which is conducive to capturing effective information, expanding the information intelligence network, and even using professional relationships, and with the impartiality of the third party The image appears, and the persuasion ability may be stronger. 8. Introduction The introduction method refers to a method to find customers who are likely to buy through the introduction of old customers, also known as the introduction search method or infinite search method. There are common exchanges and connections between people, consumption needs and purchase motivation often influence each other, and people in the same social circle may have some common consumption needs.As long as you gain the trust of existing customers, you can find other people who may become customers through voluntary introductions from existing customers, and the possibility of persuasion is relatively high. In addition, business partners can also help with introductions and referrals.An enterprise cannot survive alone, at least it must have a home for purchase and a home for sales.Since everyone is in the same interest chain, it is easy to take care of each other and support each other because of the sense of companionship. If you can take advantage of this mentality and interest relationship, please ask the upper and lower families to help introduce customers, there will be no small benefit reward. In addition, some companies have a lot of customers and don’t even have time to greet them. If we have a good relationship with such companies, we may get their help—introducing customers who we have no time to take care of or greet them to us.Of course, the key point here is to handle the relationship with such companies so that they can make introductions. 9. The "Centre Blossom" Method The "center flowering" method refers to selecting influential people or organizations in a specific target customer group and making them their own customers, and with their help and collaboration, other objects in the target customer group are transformed into reality client. Generally speaking, people or organizations that can be used as "centers" include political and business dignitaries, cultural and sports superstars, well-known scholars, prestigious universities, star-rated hotels, well-known enterprises, etc., and they (they) often have a strong influence on the public Power and high social status, with many admirers, their purchase and consumption behavior has a demonstration and precedent effect, thus triggering and even influencing the purchase and consumption behavior of admirers. 10. Phone search method The telephone search method refers to the method of finding customers in the form of calling target customers.Telephone can break through the limitation of time and space, and is one of the most economical and effective contact tools. If you can persist, find time to make at least 5 calls to new customers every day. In one year, you will have 1,500 opportunities to contact potential customers. . 11. Letter search method The letter search method refers to the method of finding customers by mailing letters.Such as sending mail-order product catalogs, leaflets, inserts, etc. to target customers to introduce the company's products or services and how to order and contact them.At the same time, applicable products can be mailed. For example, DHC's promotional letters will include small samples of various new products for potential customers to apply. 12. Network Use the Internet to promote and introduce your products so as to find customers.With the increasing number of people surfing the Internet, it is easy for companies to find customers on the Internet. Therefore, the Internet search method has a bright future. The method is as follows: First of all, log in to a professional website according to your business scope, browse domestic and foreign demand information, and contact these customers in need. You can also publish supply information on the Internet to attract customers and accumulate customer resources. Secondly, log on to specialized business websites, for example, log on to Alibaba's Business Link and Tradelink to find customers and communicate with them in real time, so as to discover and develop customers. Thirdly, you can also enter the chat room, make friends at home and abroad, find customers from them, or ask your friends to help introduce customers. Finally, enterprises can build their own web pages to attract and facilitate potential customers to actively contact themselves. 13. Steal your opponent's customers Snatching competitors' customers refers to the method by which enterprises use various competitive means to snatch target customers from competitors through innovative products, free training and preferential prices.This method is most suitable when the opponent's products and services obviously cannot meet the needs of the target customers.For example, when China Unicom launched CDMA in 2002, it adopted the sales method of "preserving phone charges and giving free mobile phones", which attracted many customers from other communication companies to switch to China Unicom, enabling China Unicom to achieve the goal of adding 7 million new customers that year.Another example is that a company wanted to rent out its high-end office buildings, but the office rental market was in a state of serious oversupply at that time.After analysis, the company believes that the source of customers can only come from companies working in other office buildings, so it sends sales personnel to collect customer intelligence, keep in close contact with these customers, and present some internal publications, that is, do the work in front, so that they are in the best position. "substitute" status.Sure enough, some customers who were dissatisfied with the rented office building after the expiration of the lease period chose this "replacement" office building one after another. The maintenance of customer relationship refers to the dynamic process and strategy for enterprises to consolidate and further develop long-term and stable relationships with customers through efforts.The maintenance of customer relationship is not only a matter of maintaining the existing relationship level, but also a process that drives the continuous upgrading and development of customer relationship level. The maintenance of customer relationship requires mutual understanding, mutual adaptation, mutual communication, mutual coordination, mutual satisfaction and mutual loyalty between enterprises and customers. Customer satisfaction, and ultimately customer loyalty... Carrying out work around customers is the cornerstone of maintaining good customer relationships. Without this premise, maintaining customer relationships is a castle in the air. 1. Personal customer information For individual customers, the following aspects should be included. (1) Basic information: name, household registration, domicile, blood type, height, weight, date of birth, personality traits, ID number, home address, telephone, fax, mobile phone, email, name of the unit, position, unit address, Telephone, fax, etc. (2) Education status: high school, university, postgraduate start and end time, highest education, majors, main courses, awards received during school, clubs joined, favorite sports, etc. (3) Career situation: previous employment status, unit name, location, position, annual income, current position in the unit, annual income, attitude towards the current unit, attitude towards the cause, what is the long-term career goal, and what is the mid-term career goal What, what is the most proud personal achievement, etc. (4) Family status: married or unmarried, wedding anniversary, how to celebrate wedding anniversary, spouse's name, birthday and blood type, education status, interests and hobbies, whether there are children, children's name, age, birthday, education level , Views on marriage, views on children's education, etc. (5) Living conditions: past medical history, current health status, whether to drink alcohol (type, amount), views on drinking, whether to smoke (type, amount), views on smoking, where to eat, like to eat What kind of food, attitude towards life, do you have a motto, what are your leisure habits, what are your vacation habits, what kind of sports do you like, what topics do you like to talk about, what kind of media do you like most, what are your medium-term and long-term goals in life what is it. (6) Personality: what clubs or societies have you ever joined, which clubs or societies you are currently in, whether you are passionate about political activities, religious beliefs or attitudes, what types of books you like to read, what things you taboo, what things you value, are you stubborn, Do you value other people's opinions, your style of dealing with people, what you think of your own personality, what your family thinks your personality is, what your friends think your personality is, and what your colleagues think your personality is. (7) Interpersonal situation: situation of relatives, situation of getting along with relatives, best relatives, situation of friends, situation of getting along with friends, best friend, situation of neighbors, situation of getting along with neighbors, best neighbors, relationship with others view of relationship. For example, when real estate companies collect customer information, they usually pay attention to the number of real estate currently owned by the customer, the brand, and the time of purchase. It has conclusions such as purchase demand, expected purchase time and quantity, and consumption grade. 2. Information of corporate customers For enterprise customers, the information content that should be mastered should consist of the following aspects: (1) Basic information: the name, address, telephone number, establishment time, organization mode, business type, assets, etc. of the enterprise. (2) Customer characteristics: scale, service area, business concept, business direction, business characteristics, corporate image, reputation, etc. (3) Business status: sales ability, sales performance, development potential and advantages, existing problems and future countermeasures, etc. (4) Transaction status: transaction conditions, credit status and credit problems that have occurred, relationship with customers and cooperation attitude, etc. (5) Person in charge information: owner, manager, legal representative, and their name, age, education, personality, interests, hobbies, family, ability, quality, etc. Enterprises can be graded according to the profit and value created by customers to the enterprise, and a customer pyramid model can be obtained according to the order of value created by customers from small to large. The customer who creates the largest profit and value for the enterprise is located at the top of the customer pyramid model. The customers who create the least profit and value for the enterprise are located at the bottom of the customer pyramid model. According to the customer pyramid model, customers are divided into important customers, major customers, ordinary customers and small customers, as shown in Figure 21-2. 1. Important customers Important customers are the highest-level customers in the customer pyramid model, referring to the 1% customers who can bring the greatest value to the company. Important customers are often heavy users of products. They are loyal to the company and are the most stable part of the company's customer assets. They create most of the long-term profits for the company, but the company only needs to pay a lower service cost; they They are not sensitive to prices, and are willing to try new products. They can also help companies introduce potential customers and save companies the cost of developing new customers; they not only have high current value, but also have huge value-added potential, and their business volume is constantly increasing. There is still potential to be tapped in terms of incremental sales and cross-selling in the future.Important customers are the most attractive type of customers. It can be said that the number of important customers an enterprise has determines its competitive position in the market. 2. Major customers The main customers are the second-level customers in the customer pyramid model, which are the top 20% of customers who bring significant value to the enterprise except important customers, generally accounting for 19% of the total number of customers.Major customers may be a large number of users of enterprise products or services, or moderate users, but they are more sensitive to prices, so the profits and value created for the company are not as high as important customers; they also have no important customers So loyal, in order to reduce risks, they will maintain long-term relationships with many companies (suppliers) of the same type at the same time; they are also sincerely and actively introducing new customers to the company, but they have no incremental sales and cross-selling. How much potential can be further tapped. Important customers and main customers constitute the key customers of the enterprise. They are the core customers of the enterprise, generally accounting for 20% of the total number of customers of the enterprise. They contribute 50% of the profits of the enterprise and are the key protection objects of the enterprise. 3. Ordinary customers Ordinary customers are customers at the third level in the customer pyramid model, and they are the top 50% of customers that create the greatest value for the company except for important customers and major customers, generally accounting for 30% of the total number of customers.Ordinary customers include a large number of customers, but their purchasing power, loyalty, and value they can bring are far inferior to important customers and major customers, and they are not worthy of special treatment by enterprises. 4. Small customers Small customers are the bottom customers in the customer pyramid model, referring to the bottom 50% of customers except the above three customers.Small customers include both "small customers" with low profits and "inferior customers" with low credit. This type of customer is the most unattractive type of customer, with few purchases and low loyalty. They purchase occasionally, but often delay payment or even do not pay; they also often put forward harsh service requirements, which can hardly bring business benefits. Profit, but consume the resources of the enterprise; sometimes they are problem customers, they will complain to others and damage the image of the enterprise. Figure 21-3 shows the "customer quantity pyramid" and "customer profit-providing ability inverted pyramid", reflecting the relationship between customer type, quantity distribution and profitability. 客户关系金字塔划分方法包含着一种重要的思想，那就是企业应为对本企业的利润贡献最大的关键客户，尤其是重要客户提供最优质的服务，配置最强大的资源，并加强与这类客户的关系，从而使企业的盈利能力最大化。 客户分级管理是指企业在依据客户带来利润和价值的多少对客户进行分级的基础上，依据客户级别高低的不同设计不同的客户服务和关怀项目——不是对所有客户都平等对待，而是区别对待不同贡献的客户，将重点放在为企业提供80%利润的关键客户上，为他们提供上乘的服务，给他们特殊的礼遇和关照，努力提高他们的满意度，从而维系他们对企业的忠诚，同时，积极提升各级客户在客户金字塔中的级别，放弃不具盈利能力的客户，尤其是劣质客户，避免将大把银子花在不带来利润的客户上，从而使企业资源与客户价值得到有效的平衡。 1.关键客户管理 关键客户是所创造的利润占整个企业总利润很大比例(约80%)的客户，是企业利润的基石，是企业可持续发展的最重要的保障之一。关键客户的管理在企业管理中处于重要的地位，关键客户管理的成功与否，对整个企业的经营业绩具有决定性的作用。 关键客户管理是一种投资管理，是企业对未来业务的一种投资，它直接影响着企业未来的发展。牢牢地抓住关键客户这个龙头，才能以点带面、以大带小，才能使企业保持竞争优势及对竞争对手的顽强抵御力，才能在市场竞争日益激烈的今天，屹立潮头，稳操胜券。 关键客户管理的目标是提高关键客户的忠诚度，并且在“保持关系”的基础上，提升关键客户给企业带来的价值。为此，要做好以下三方面的工作： (1)成立为关键客户服务的专门机构。目前，许多企业对关键客户都比较重视，经常由管理高层亲自出面处理与这些客户的关系，但是这样势必分散高层管理者的精力。如果企业成立一个专门服务于关键客户的机构，便可一举两得——一方面可使企业高层不会因为频繁处理与关键客户的关系分散精力，而能够集中精力考虑企业的战略和重大决策，另一方面也有利于企业对关键客户的管理系统化、规范化。 为关键客户服务的机构要负责联系关键客户，一般来说，要给重要的关键客户安排一名优秀的客户经理并长期固定地为其服务，规模较小的关键客户可以几个客户安排一个客户经理。例如，英国巴克莱银行为其重要的个人客户(收入或金融资产5万英镑以上)设立了要客经理，为特大户(收入或金融资产在25万英镑以上)设立了私人银行部。该行在全英设立了42个与分行并行的要客中心，700多名要客经理，每人配一名助理，每个要客经理大约负责为300名要客提供全面的服务。 关键客户服务机构还要为企业高层提供准确的关键客户信息，包括获取关键客户相关人员的个人资料，并协调技术、生产、企划、销售、运输等部门，根据关键客户的不同要求设计不同的产品和服务方案。 关键客户服务机构还要利用客户数据库分析每位关键客户的交易历史，注意了解关键客户的需求和采购情况，及时与关键客户就市场趋势、合理的库存量进行商讨。在销售旺季到来之前，要协调好生产及运输等部门，保证在旺季对关键客户的供应，避免出现因缺货而导致关键客户的不满。 关键客户服务机构还要关心关键客户的利益得失，把服务做在前面，并且注意竞争对手对他们所抛的“媚眼”，千方百计地保持关键客户，决不能让他们转向竞争对手。 此外，关键客户服务机构要关注关键客户的动态，并强化对关键客户的跟踪管理，对出现衰退和困难的关键客户要进行深入分析，必要时伸出援手。当然，也要密切注意其经营状况、财务状况、人事状况的异常动向等，以避免出现倒账的风险。 对关键客户的服务与管理是一项涉及部门多、要求非常细的工作，只有调动企业的一切积极因素，创造客户导向特别是关键客户导向的组织文化，才能做好这项工作。 (2)集中优势资源服务于关键客户。由于关键客户对企业的价值贡献最大，因而对服务的要求也比较高，但是目前有些企业没有为关键客户提供特殊服务，而让关键客户与小客户享受同等待遇，以至于关键客户的不满情绪不断地增长。 为了进一步提高企业的盈利水平，按帕累托定律的反向操作就是：要为20%的客户花上80%的努力。即企业要将有限的资源用在前20%的最有价值的客户上，用在能为企业创造80%利润的关键客户上——好钢要用在“刀刃”上！ 为此，企业应该保证足够的投入，集中优势“兵力”，优先配置最多最好的资源，加大对关键客户的服务力度，采取倾斜政策加强对关键客户的营销工作，并向关键客户提供“优质、优先、优惠”的个性化服务，从而提高关键客户的满意度和忠诚度。 除了为关键客户优先安排生产、提供能令其满意的产品外，还要主动提供售前、售中、售后的全程、全面、高档次的服务，包括专门定制的服务，以及针对性、个性化、一对一、精细化的服务，甚至可以邀请关键客户参与企业产品或服务的研发、决策，从而更好地满足关键客户的需要。 企业还要准确预测关键客户的需求，把服务想到他们的前面，领先一步为他们提供能为其带来最大效益的全套方案，持续不断地向他们提供超预期的价值，给关键客户更多的惊喜。例如，当出现供货紧张的现象时，要优先保证关键客户的需要，从而提高关键客户的满意度，使他们坚信本企业是他们最好的供应商。 此外，企业也要增加关键客户的财务利益，为他们提供优惠的价格和折扣。如一次性数量折扣、定期累计数量折扣、无期限累计数量折扣、直接折扣等，以及为关键客户提供灵活的支付条件和安全便利的支付方式，并且适当放宽付款时间限制，甚至允许关键客户一定时间的赊账，目的是奖励关键客户的忠诚，提高其流失成本。 另外，还可实行VIP制，创建VIP客户服务通道，从而更好地为关键客户服务，这对拓展和巩固与关键客户的关系，提高关键客户的忠诚度，可以起到很好的作用。 通讯企业在对关键客户的服务方面，较普遍的做法是为关键客户提供“优惠”服务，这种方式虽然使关键客户感到了企业的关心，但是，对于关键客户来说，他们并不看重话费的优惠，而看重企业带给他们的超值服务以及良好的企业形象，他们更需要的是表明其地位和身份的“特别关心”，这是他们的真正需要。如在机场的贵宾候机室里找到“贵族”的感觉，优先免费使用时尚的WAP无线上网业务等，都会使关键客户觉得自己与众不同，有一种优越感。例如，中国移动通信公司的全球通VIP客户和中国联通的CDMA高端客户分别享受着特别的优待，从而造就了一批忠诚的高端客户，也激励了一批中低端客户。 (3)通过沟通和感情交流，密切双方的关系。具体要做到以下几点： 第一，有目的、有计划地拜访关键客户。一般来说，有着良好业绩的企业营销主管每年大约有1/3的时间是在拜访客户中度过的，其中关键客户正是他们拜访的主要对象。对关键客户的定期拜访，有利于熟悉关键客户的经营动态，并且能够及时发现问题和有效解决问题，有利于与关键客户搞好关系。 第二，经常性地征求关键客户的意见。企业高层经常性地征求关键客户的意见，将有助于增加关键客户的信任度。例如，每年组织一次企业高层与关键客户之间的座谈会，听取关键客户对企业的产品、服务、营销、产品开发等方面的意见和建议，以及对企业下一步的发展计划进行研讨等，这些都有益于企业与关键客户建立长期、稳定的战略合作伙伴关系。为了随时了解关键客户的意见和问题，企业应适当增加与其沟通的次数和时间，并且提高沟通的有效性。 第三，及时、有效地处理关键客户的投诉或者抱怨。客户的问题体现了客户的需求，无论是投诉或者抱怨，都是寻求答案的标志。处理投诉或者抱怨是企业向关键客户提供售后服务的必不可少的环节之一，企业要积极建立有效的机制，优先、认真、迅速、有效及专业地处理关键客户的投诉或者抱怨。 第四，充分利用包括网络在内的各种手段与关键客户建立快速、双向的沟通渠道，不断地、主动地与关键客户进行有效沟通，真正地了解他们的需求，甚至了解他们的客户的需求或能影响他们购买决策的群体的偏好，只有这样才能够密切与关键客户的关系，促使关键客户成为企业的忠诚客户。 第五，增进与关键客户的感情交流。企业应利用一切机会，如关键客户开业周年庆典，或者关键客户获得特别荣誉之时，或者关键客户有重大商业举措的时候，表示祝贺与支持，这些都能加强企业与关键客户之间的感情。此外，当关键客户有困难时，如果企业能够及时伸出援手，这也能提升关键客户对企业的感情。 应该意识到，企业与客户之间的关系是动态的，企业识别关键客户也应该是一个动态的过程。一方面，现有的关键客户可能因为自身的原因或企业的原因而流失，另一方面，又会有新的关键客户与企业建立关系。因此，企业应对关键客户的动向，作出及时的反应，既要避免现有关键客户的流失，又要及时对先出现的关键客户采取积极的行动。 2.普通客户管理法 根据普通客户给企业创造的利润和价值，对于普通客户的管理，主要强调提升级别和控制成本两个方面。 (1)针对有升值潜力的普通客户，努力培养其成为关键客户。企业要增加从普通客户上获得的价值，就要设计鼓励普通客户消费的项目，如常客奖励计划，及对一次性或累积购买达到一定标准的客户给予相应级别的奖励，或者让其参加相应级别的抽奖活动等，以鼓励普通客户购买更多数量的产品或服务。例如，影音租赁连锁店运用“放长线钓大鱼”策略，让客户以约10美元的会费获得各种组片优惠，包括每月租5张送1张、每周一到周三租1张送1张等，从而提升了客户的层级。 企业还可根据普通客户的需要扩充相关的产品线，或者为普通客户提供“一条龙”服务，以充分满足他们的潜在需求，这样就可以增加普通客户的购买量，提升他们的层级，使企业进一步获利。例如，美国时装零售业巨头丽姿·克莱朋通过扩充产品线涵盖了上班服、休闲服、超大号服装及设计师服装等系列，有效地增加了客户的购买量，从而实现了客户层级的提升。 此外，还可以鼓励现有客户购买更高价值的产品或服务，如饭店鼓励老客户吃更贵的菜等。 总之，对于有升级潜力的普通客户，企业要制订周密、可行的升级计划，吸引普通客户不由自主的加强与企业的合作。当然，随着普通客户升级为关键客户，他们理当获得更多更好的服务。 (2)针对没有升级潜力的普通客户减少服务，降低成本。针对没有升级潜力的普通客户减少服务，企业可以采取维持战略，在人力、财力、物力等限制条件下不增加投入，甚至减少促销努力，以降低交易成本，还可以要求普通客户以现款支付，甚至提前预付。 另外，还可以缩减对普通用户的服务时间、服务项目、服务内容，或对普通客户只提供普通档次的产品或一般性的服务，甚至不提供任何附加服务。例如，航空公司用豪华车接送能带来高额利润的关键客户，而普通客户则没有此种待遇。 3.小客户管理法 对于低价值的小客户，企业通常的做法会有两种：一种是“坚决剔除”，不再与他们联系和交易；另一种是“坚决保留”，“客户就是上帝”，无论小客户多么难缠，都不遗余力地与其保持关系。这两种做法都过于极端，不可取。企业应当突破“客户就是上帝”这种传统观念的束缚，在经过反复权衡利弊得失后再决定是不是要淘汰，怎么淘汰。 (1)判断有没有升级的可能。企业应在认真分析小客户价值低的原因之后，判断和甄别这类客户是否有升级的可能。 对小客户的评判要科学，不能只看目前的表象，要立足于一段时间的跟踪，而不能根据某一时点的表现就轻易否定，那样就可能使小客户被“误杀”——看似丢了一个“芝麻”，实际上是丢了一个“西瓜”。因此，不要因为目前客户“小”，就盲目抛弃，而要用动态的眼光，要看趋势。 如果这类小客户有升级的可能，企业就应加强对他们的培育，帮助其成长，挖掘其潜力，可通过客户回访、邮寄赠品或刊物等不同的手段与这类小客户建立特殊的关系。例如，全球知名的贺卡礼品业者贺轩推出“金冠会员卡项目”，除多种优惠之外，还针对每个客户最有兴趣的产品，逐一与他们建立关系——喜欢传统圣诞装饰的客户会收到专门介绍这类装饰品的刊物，常买卡片的客户则会在新系列卡片推出时收到免费新品。通过这样密切的联系往往可以促使小客户上升为普通客户甚至关键客户，那么伴随着小客户的成长，企业利润就可以不断得到提升。 如果这类小客户没有升级的可能(通常来说，把小客户转变成高层级客户不是一件容易的事，除非深具未来获利潜力，如目前还是赔钱客户的大学生，可能在就业后会成为好客户)，企业也不能说淘汰就淘汰，而要搞清楚是不是非淘汰不可。 (2)是不是非淘汰不可。开发一个新客户的成本相当于维护5~6个老客户的成本，因此，企业必须珍惜现有的每一个客户，慎重对待每一个客户。 客户在自己手里的时候，企业往往不珍惜，虽然一些小客户给企业带来的利润很少甚至根本没有利润，但是他们仍然为企业创造和形成了规模优势，在降低企业成本方面功不可没。因此，保持一定数量的低价值客户是企业实现规模经济的重要保证，是企业保住市场份额、保持成本优势、遏制竞争对手的重要手段。 然而，企业一旦放弃这些低价值的小客户，听任其流失到竞争对手那边，就可能会使企业失去成本优势，同时可能壮大了竞争对手的客户队伍和规模，而一旦竞争对手由于客户多了、生产服务规模大了，成本得以下降了，就会对企业不利。所以，企业在决定淘汰小客户时，要权衡利弊得失，综观全局，认真地研究是不是非淘汰不可。 (3)有理有节地淘汰。假如企业非淘汰某些小客户不可，那么也应当做到有理有节地淘汰。 如果企业直接、生硬地把小客户“扫地出门”或“拒之门外”，这样做可能会引发小客户对企业的不良口碑，对企业不满的小客户可能会向其他客户或者亲戚朋友表达他们的不满，使企业遭遇“口水”之害，从而给企业形象造成不良的影响。 此外，被“裁减”的小客户还可能投诉企业，而且媒体、行业协会等社会力量也有介入的可能性，弄不好企业就会背上“歧视消费者”这个“黑锅”。所以企业不能直接拒绝为小客户提供产品或服务，不能简单、随意地把小客户甩掉，而只能小心谨慎，间接地、变相地、有理有节地将其淘汰。 选择中止客户关系只能作为一种最后的手段，而且必须稳妥、专业地进行，千万不能刺激这些客户，可以考虑采取提高价格或降低成本两种基本方法： ■提高价格。一是向小客户收取以前属于免费服务的费用。这样，真正的小客户就会流失掉，因为他们不会付费，而其他选择留下的小客户就会增加企业的收入，从而壮大普通客户的行列。例如，香港汇丰银行对存款不足5000港元的储户每月征收40港元的服务费，这样储户要么增加存款达到5000港元，要么自行退出。二是提高无利润产品或服务的价格，或者取消这些无利润的产品或服务。如果该产品或者服务在市场上仍然有良好的发展前景、值得保留，那么可以提高其价格，从而使其变成盈利产品。如果该产品或者服务已经没有发展前景，根本不值得保留，那么就应该放弃它，取消这些无利润的产品或者服务，把资源转到能带来更大利润的产品或者服务上去。三是向小客户推销高利润的产品，使其变成有利可图的客户。 ■降低成本。一是适当限制为小客户提供的服务内容和范围，压缩、减少为小客户服务的时间。如从原来的天天服务改为每周一大提供服务，从而降低成本、节约企业的资源。二是运用更经济、更省钱的方式提供服务，如从原来面对面的直接销售方式转为电话销售或由经销商销售，这样不仅保证了销售收入，也减少了成本，提高了利润水平。例如，银行通过减少分支机构的数量，以及用ATM机代替柜员和银行职工，从而降低服务成本。如果能够削减花在低价值客户上的成本，企业就能创造出更高的收益。实际上，提高价格或降低成本的目的是让不带来利润的客户，要么接受提高价格或降低成本，成为产生利润的客户，要么选择离开。通过这样间接的、软的方式，让小客户自行选择去留。 (4)坚决淘汰劣质客户。并非目前所有的客户关系都值得保留——劣质客户吞噬、蚕食着企业的利润，与其让他们消耗企业的利润，还不如及早终止与他们的关系，压缩、减少直至终止与其的业务往来，以减少利润损失，将企业的资源尽快投入其他客户群体中。如银行对信用状况差、没有发展前途的劣质客户采取停贷、清算等措施。 对于赖账的客户，一是“先礼后兵”，动员各种力量对其施加压力；二是要“还以颜色”，直至“对簿公堂”，绝不手软。 适时终止与没有价值、负价值或者前景不好的客户的关系，企业才能节省有限的资源去寻找和服务于能够更好地与企业的利润、成长和定位目标相匹配的新客户和老客户。 企业针对不同级别的客户采取分级管理和差异化的激励措施，可以使关键客户自豪地享受企业提供的特殊待遇，并激励他们努力保持这种尊贵地位；可以刺激和鞭策有潜力的客户不断升级，以争取享受更高级别客户所拥有的“优待”；还可以让不带来利润的客户要么成为产生利润的客户，要么选择离开。这样，就可以使企业在成本不变的情况下，产生可观的利润增长——这就是对客户进行分级管理的理想境界。 1.顾客抱怨与投诉的原因 (1)产品或服务的质量问题。如质量没有达到标准，或者经常出现故障。例如，其他通讯企业给客户提供越来越多的功能，网络覆盖不断扩大，接通率提高，掉线率下降。而本企业提供的通讯服务却在很多地方打不通，或者经常掉线，那么客户的埋怨就会不断增加，从而产生投诉。 (2)服务态度或服务方式问题。如对客户冷漠、粗鲁，表情僵硬，或者表示出不屑；不尊重客户，不礼貌，缺乏耐心，对客户的提问和要求表示烦躁；服务僵化、被动，没有迅速、准确处理客户的问题；措辞不当，引起客户的误解。 (3)受骗上当。企业在广告中过分夸大宣传产品的某些