This topic is sadly one that seems to be moving in the wrong direction.

It’s the lack of communication with your customers. Your “touches” — how often they hear from you, whether a deliberate sales or marketing message, exposure to advertising, or planned non-sales communication (just keeping in touch, reminders, warranty or admin issues).

You should touch your customers at LEAST 12 times per year. If not every fortnight in some way. That can include electronic methods, if you know they’re getting opened and seen.

You should ESPECIALLY touch your customers when your business processes change. Case in point: one of our trade printers operates to a strict weekly schedule. It’s at least a page long: absolute submission deadlines and then promised delivery days.

It’s a pretty important document between the customer and supplier.

Last time I remember (a couple of years back), they sent us out a new copy when the document changed. And we rely on that every month — sometimes more often — to send them work.

We relied on it today when we submitted two large jobs that have a delivery schedule on Monday.

Only to find out — AFTER the job was put through their system, that delivery is now Tuesday — “it’s on the new schedule,” they said.

“Did you send us a copy?”

“No, we put it on our website, but it is hard to find.”

Is pretty close to how the conversation went.

What are they thinking? This is a very important document between us and this supplier — nearly as important as their price list — and one of only 2 important documents they need to keep us updated on. But they didn’t bother to let us know when it changed.

We’re an active customer. We should be touched regularly! But we’re not.

It would only have taken a friendly email. Another good reason to keep the relationship alive.

When was the last time you touched your customers? Or let them know of important changes?