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Database Marketing - High-Tech Selling
Looking for ways to improve sales and profits? A technique that many brokers are finding very effective is database marketing. Of course, your brokerage is already using computers to improve administrative efficiency and customer service. Now you need to look at using your computer to help you sell. Database marketing, or direct marketing, helps you do just that. What is database marketing? Don Jackson has a good definition in his book Winning: Direct Marketing for Insurance Agents and Brokers: “Insurance direct marketing is an interactive system of marketing that ascertains, creates, and satisfies the insurance wants and needs of people by performing organized tasks affecting the transfer of services between seller and buyer; using one or more media for the purpose of soliciting a response, by phone, mail, or personal visit, from a prospect or customer; maintaining complete information on each transaction in a database; and doing so at a profit.” ADVANTAGES TO BUSINESS What should a good database marketing program do for your business? Some, or all, of the following: Help you enroll more customers and find customers with whom your agency can build more profitable relationships. Allow you to spot ways of servicing each customer according to his or her needs. Substantially reduce the loss of customers at renewal. Make your sales force more effective and efficient. Help your agency project a more consistent, high-quality image. Of course, database marketing has been practiced in the industry for years. Many agents/brokers intelligently use direct mail, telemarketing, and even television for each of their markets and sell a variety of policies. The best have found ways to integrate these media so they work well, not only together but with the existing sales force. In fact, good database marketing is more akin to good customer service than the hard-sell noise that has given some direct marketers a bad name. Let’s assume you’re interested in trying database marketing at your agency, or you want to see how your current efforts stack up against the best in the industry. First, review the essential ingredients in the art and science of database marketing. Database marketing aims to do what we all dream of doing as marketers and salespeople: deliver the right message about the right product, at the right price, to the right consumer, at the right time, in the right way. As our efforts approach this ideal, sales success ought to follow. INTERACTIVE AND INDIVIDUAL What sets database marketing apart from all other marketing channels is captured in two words: “interactive” and “individual.” Database marketing is interactive. It builds and sustains a relationship between seller and buyer in which the buyer responds to the seller in a meaningful way. The response (or nonresponse) helps guide the hand of the marketer in creating ever more relevant promotions in an ongoing process of trial and error. And since this dialogue is recorded in a database, we can go back and “replay” it at will to learn what worked and what didn’t. Database marketing is able to relate to each prospect or customer as an individual because it is built around a database. A person’s unique preferences, needs, and behavior can be recorded and used by the marketer to ensure that communication is relevant and respectful. At its best, database marketing is appreciated by customers for its convenience and for the way it allows the customer’s needs to be anticipated and acted on by the marketer. Doesn’t this sound a lot like good salesmanship? The most successful agents take the time to understand their customers, cultivate a relationship, recommend appropriate products at the right time, anticipate change and respond proactively, and learn from their mistakes and successes to achieve even higher levels of service for their clients. Database marketing and personal selling have much in common. Not surprisingly, they reinforce each other when used intelligently together. And that is what’s creating sales breakthroughs in the industry today. The best database marketers do many little things right, but I group them into three main areas: strategy, technology, and execution. KNOWING YOUR CUSTOMERS The best database marketers compile an incredible amount of information about their customers and prospects (by name) and use it to make every marketing decision on product offering, product development, promotion strategy, and distribution. Strategy begins with a thorough understanding of the markets your business serves, and the health of the relationships you have built, as evidenced by your existing customer base. It is important to be able to answer questions like these: Who are your customers? How would you describe their insurance needs? What products do they buy today? What products do they buy together? What products are they likely to need in the near future? How do renewal rates vary across segments of your customers’ base? How many new leads does your company generate annually, and what are the close rates on these leads? What is the premium currently generated on each customer, and how does it vary across different segments? What is your customers’ expected lifetime value - the net current value of your dealings with them in the future? You must then decide what objectives you wish to reach as a business in terms of sales and profits. From these, consider the following: How can I best serve my existing customers, in products, prices, and promotion technique? What kind of customer do I want to attract in the future: more of the same, or targeted improvement? How do I develop their lifetime value? What new products, if any, do I need to introduce? TECHNOLOGY: THE DATABASE I mentioned that database marketing and personal selling have much in common. What sets them apart, however, is the use of information technology. Personal selling can be thought of as high- touch, person-to-person relationship building. Database marketing, on the other hand, relies on using computer technology to store and process information to create, target, and manage promotion campaigns. The required technology will vary in cost and complexity, depending on the current size of your business and your plans for growth. You will need a database to house information about customers, their transactions with your company, the promotions they have received, and any information you add to the database from external sources. You will probably find that this will need to be built with input from your existing billing and administrative system. You may also discover that the new marketing database will be best managed as a separate system, receiving information from your existing systems and feeding it back. This approach will help minimize cost and implementation headaches. You will need software that allows you to manipulate information in the database for analysis and to execute marketing campaigns. You will also need routines that allow you to move smoothly from the concept of a campaign to its launch and management. Your system should allow you to specify and send out direct mail with ease. It should integrate with your telemarketing or sales staff, moving information into customers’ or prospects’ hands before a call, and moving information resulting from the call back into the database. It should contain modules that allow you to generate management reports with ease, to keep you in touch with what’s happening across a variety of different aspects of the business. MAKING IT WORK Once the strategy has been mapped out and the software is in place, sales appear like magic, right? Wrong. I have seen the best database-marketing plans collapse because they were improperly executed. I have also seen good work thrown away because management did not know how to use information in the database to improve on marketing efforts. In implementing your new program, you must analyze the following issues: How do I get information about the success or failure of contacts - phone, mail, or sales force - back into the database easily aneffectively? How do I plan the marketing campaign so as to measure impact, and how do I use this information to improve as I go along? How do I ensure that all members of the team support the goals of the database-marketing program and participate in its success? Let’s recap. An effective database marketing program should: Integrate with and support your existing sales force Build on existing information systems Put your salespeople, their management, and your executives more in touch and in control Sell simple products at low unit-cost Deliver highly qualified leads for more complex products I hope this brief introduction will interest you in trying database marketing, if you have not done so already - or that it has suggested a few areas in which you might improve what you are doing now.

Key Mistakes People Make When Taking Out an Insurance Policy
Are you considering getting an insurance policy? An insurance policy is a term which is common to adults, and most of them don’t even know that they already own one. Whether it is life, home, car, renters, or any other type of insurance, people generally go for them. The insurance companies also launch different schemes to attract the masses. With so many options, it becomes difficult to choose the right policy. In the process of choosing, people make various mistakes. Here, we’ll focus is on the different mistakes people make while buying a home insurance and life insurance policy. If these mistakes are considered and prevented, then policy buyers can save a big chunk of money and can get what they actually pay for. Home Insurance Just like a home loan at OnQFinancial for example, you’ll want to think wisely about which home insurance policy is best for you. For a typical home insurance policy, you get three options: Buildings Insurance: The building’s structure along with the fittings and fixtures (a fitted kitchen, baths, etc.) are covered. These policies normally cover outbuildings¾like garages and sheds¾also. If you have a mortgage, this policy is a must. Contents Insurance: Anything that is a personal possession and can be reasonably moved like TVs, laptops, furniture, etc. is covered. Some of the content insurance policies also cover carpets and other gray areas. Combined: As the name suggests, these policies cover both contents and buildings insurance, but you should be careful and analyze your requirements according to the facilities provided because the scope of combined policies may vary. The common mistakes people make while buying home insurance are: Accidental Damage: Most people see the name “accidental damage” and get believe that accidents resulting from things like broken furniture or a tap that’s left on will be covered. But most policies do not cover accidental damage as a standard; it’s an option at an additional cost. So, the buyer should review the Terms and Conditions thoroughly and properly. Personal Possession Cover: This is yet another option which leads to mistakes by the policy buyer. It says that with home insurance, personal possessions like a laptop, mobile, and other things apart from the house will be covered, but for an extra cost. You should compare it with the one dedicated personal policy because that might offer you the same coverage at a lower cost. Exclusions: Every home insurance policy has many exclusions which most people do not read carefully. You should read it carefully as sometimes it happens that you need insurance for something that the policy has excluded¾meaning you don’t get what you paid for. Some common exclusions are damage caused by ongoing pollution and DIY projects. Life Insurance There are many options available in life insurance. Some of the more common options are: Life Insurance: At the death of the policyholder, the survivor gets income and funds for a mortgage, education, lifestyle, etc. Trauma Cover: The insurer is paid as a result of illness, events or accidents. Income Protection: For a definite time, you get regular income as a percent of your earnings. The common mistakes people make while buying Life Insurance are: Buying Online Without Professional Advice: If you are buying a policy online or over the phone, the assessment will be done during the claim, whereas through an adviser, you will be assessed at the time of application. It means you and your family can be certain of it at the time of application rather than being declined at the time of claim. Advisers provide you with quality advice which is backed by documents, and ultimately, you can save a lot. Buying Insurance with Premiums That Increase with Your Age: As your age increases, the risk factors increase as well. So, buyers need to pay higher premiums to cover the insurer’s cost. Instead of paying higher premiums, people let their policy lapse. The best option is to buy a policy with a level premium. In it, the premium remains same all throughout your lifetime. If you consult with an adviser, he or she will tell you more benefits of this policy. Failing to Review Your Situation and Your Covers as Life Events Take Place: You should consider each change that occurs in your life. The changes can be anything like a newborn baby, adding a new room to the house, going on holidays, getting a new mortgage, job changes, promotions, etc. You should talk to your adviser after achieving a significant milestone. The adviser can help you save some money. These are some of the common mistakes which people make while buying a new home insurance or life insurance policy. If you consider these mistakes while buying insurance, you can definitely save a lot money and trouble while getting what you paid for.

Hard Market Shenanigans
HARD MARKET SHENANIGANS by the IIABA Faculty Some agents are deliberately underinsuring homes under an HO policy because their rates aren’t competitive. They’re allegedly relying on the carrier’s guaranteed replacement cost provision on the home, which can result in gross underinsurance of other property — and it definitely puts other agents at a competitive disadvantage. In this document, the IIABA Faculty examines the consequences of this questionable practice.   Several agents for an insurer have started to sell reduced Homeowners limits. They tell their insureds that because their company will pay replacement cost (RC) of up to 120%, they can take 80% of the RC and, in the event of a total loss, collect full value. For example, they’ll insure a $150,000 home for $125,000 and, in the event of a total loss, the insured will (allegedly) collect up to the $150,000 limit. These agents don’t mention that the Personal Property coverage has been reduced by about $20,000 if the home is gutted, but not destroyed. Agents are using the cap on the RC like a peak season endorsement on a Business policy. Ironically, premiums are increasing because agents don’t insure the homes to full RC to begin with. This is an injustice to the insureds and, in the event of a catastrophic loss, it’ll give the industry and agents a black eye. This is unethical at best and not serving the public’s best interests. I have an insured for Auto only. I tried to place his HO with the same company. He stated that he had $85,000 on a 1,450 sqaure-foot home and that his current agent told him that the guaranteed replacement cost capping out at 120% would give him an additional $17,000 coverage in the event of a total loss, for a total coverage amount of $102,000. I told him that agents have to prove, or should prove, to the company that they have the home insured pretty close to full replacement cost value. The 120% clause responds in the event of high inflation or if construction costs go through the roof as they did when Andrew hit Florida. I gave him a quote for $145,000 using $100 per square foot as a guideline on the home. The incumbent agent told him to insure the home for $121,500 and, with the extra 120% cap on the RC, he’d have $145,000 for a total loss. This would keep his costs down. The insured stayed with the incumbent agent. In another case, I was working with an insured to round out the account. The insurer had $133,000 on a home that was probably in the $190,000 range. The incumbent agent argued that the $133,000 with the 120% RC would give him about $160,000 in total coverage. But if construction cost rose during the year the insured could be as much as $50,000 to $60,000 underinsured — not to mention the insufficient Personal Property coverage of $133,000. The insured realized that his agent had been short-changing him for the past 20 years. I got this account. FACULTY RESPONSE It would be interesting to look at the policy form for the exact wording on the guaranteed RC coverage. I’d be curious to know if the policy wording requires the home to be insured to RC in order for this coverage to respond. FACULTY RESPONSE Most 'guaranteed' replacement cost policies still require, in the contract wording, the home to be insured 100% to value. The 120% factor is there in the event of unanticipated cost increases. Don’t agents who deliberately circumvent this language violate the insurance laws if these policy forms are filed and approved by the department of insurance? Sounds like they’re effectively issuing orally modified contracts, probably in violation of filing requirements. Since these agents are representatives of the insurer, I suspect they’re jeopardizing the company’s certificate of authority with this practice, not to mention taking advantage of consumers to make a sale. FACULTY RESPONSE The 'guaranteed home replacement' endorsement goes by several names. In my experience, every company that offered it required 100% insurance-to-value to add it. It was cheap, $1.00 to $5.00 back in my days. My current HO policy offers this endorsement for about the same cost. The actual endorsement says that I agree to insure for 100% ITV and requires me to notify the company if I undertake a modification of 5% of value or more. The idea behind the endorsement is to give some 'wiggle room' in cases where estimated replacement cost is too low, or where costs escalate after the claim. Anyone who has ever done a cost estimator knows that they’re just that — estimates. Having a policy pay 120% of the replacement cost allows for slight errors in the form. Also, anyone who has ever been in a post-catastrophe environment (hurricanes, for example) knows that costs go up after the event. Labor and materials costs climb because of supply and demand. By stripping coverage to 80% then adding the endorsement, you’ve lost any cushion and are defeating the purpose of the endorsement. I’ll bet if the company executives knew what was going on, they’d counsel the agents in question. If I had hard data proving what the agents were doing, I’d be inclined to contact that company and report the agents. Also, in many states an agent who intentionally puts an incorrect replacement cost on an application violates the state’s unfair trade practices law. Finally, the cost to go from 80% ITV to 100% ITV just isn’t that great. Everyone thinks, 'It’ll never happen to me.' But sometimes it does. FACULTY RESPONSE This practice has been around in California for a number of years. Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s a way to stop unscrupulous agents from engaging in this activity. Agents who come up against this objection need a way to overcome it. I’d suggest something like, 'I know you’re concerned about the cost of your Homeowners coverage, especially with the price going up this year. But can I ask you a question? If your home were totally destroyed by fire, would the cost of your insurance be your primary concern?' Of course not. Then discuss what would happen in the unlikely event of a total loss, perhaps using specific examples from high-profile situations. This is indeed a disturbing situation, and not an isolated example. Unfortunately, the hard market (combined with insurer concerns over mold and other issues) has a tendency to bring out the 'dark side' in some agents. FACULTY RESPONSE The Oakland-Berkeley Hills, CA firestorm of 1991 resulted in 3,236 total and 2,892 partial Homeowner, Renter, Condominium, Dwelling and Apartment unit losses. Several agents were undervaluing building replacement cost estimates and relying on the guaranteed replacement cost provisions to cover the difference. The practice became evident quickly as the losses were being adjusted. The increased cost to 34 insurance companies who upgraded and reformed policies following the loss was $274,017,306. This was the sum paid in addition to benefits within their previous policy limits. This practice might also violate the agent’s contract with their company. A number of insurers reformed their agent agreements following the Oakland-Berkeley Hills fire. I suggest that the concerned agent document these practices and take the information to the national (not the local) office of the insurance company. I’ve done this several times and found that reporting a pattern of abusive practices can stop it on the national level. The local supervisory offices are a little less predictable. They might be aware of the abusive practices and condone them. Or they might intervene right away. This practice can, and should, be stopped. FACULTY RESPONSE I can visualize such unethical practice in companies whose agents are trained as 'salespersons,' not agents. Consumers contribute to the problem by dollar shopping. They don’t want to hear the truth if it costs $10 more. They think, 'It’ll never happen to me.' The media, with their anti-insurance company attitude, doesn’t help. They have the public convinced that the big, bad insurance industry is out to rip them off with overpriced policies while the execs line their pockets. When a practice such as this is exposed, it adds fuel to the fire. The insurance industry could do a better job of getting the truth to the consumer. We share information among ourselves, but this only makes the ethical and professional more ethical and professional. We preach to the choir while the sinners turn a deaf ear. I’d like to see a contract with this company to read just how the replacement cost section is worded. FACULTY RESPONSE This behavior isn’t new. The only good news is that their companies generally have a 20%-25% cap now, instead of selling an unlimited GRC. Another limitation to point out to policyholders is that the increased coverage won’t apply if the homeowner fails to notify the company of substantial improvements they make to the home. One recent article indicated that 80% of those who make improvements to their home never contact their agent to discuss the need for increased coverage. One of the biggest problems I see is people adding a deck. They just never call. FACULTY RESPONSE Even when an insured and their agent think that the home is properly valued and insured, studies show that it probably isn’t. Here’s a quote from an article on MSN: 'A whopping three out of every four homes nationwide are underinsured, according to a survey by Marshall & Swift/Boeckh. This Princeton, N.J., company specializes in estimating construction costs, and its annual reviews of 3 million insurance policies consistently show homeowners don’t have enough coverage. We’re not talking small amounts, either. The latest survey showed the typical homeowner was underinsured by 35%. 'These figures aren’t news to the insurance industry, which has known for years that most of their customers weren’t buying enough coverage. The point was driven home again this year by the Colorado wildfires, which so far have cost insurers $79.3 million. '‘Most of the homes that were covered were underinsured,’ said Loretta Worters, spokeswoman for the Insurance Information Institute, a trade group.' And, with regard to remodeling: 'Homeowners are remodeling like crazy. Americans spent $180 billion last year updating their homes, often boosting the value of their homes in the process. An estimated 75% of remodelers fail to update their insurance coverage to reflect those improvements,' said Bob Crine, president of Marshall & Swift, the construction estimating company. 'The company has found that homeowners consistently shortchange themselves when it comes to getting enough coverage,' Crine said. 'Homeowners have more at stake now, however, because so many insurers have capped their replacement coverage. In the past five years, the vast majority of insurers have done away with, or radically modified, their guaranteed replacement policies. Whereas once your company would rebuild your home no matter the cost, today most insurers cap how much they pay to 120% of your policy’s stated coverage amount.' Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? FACULTY RESPONSE From a competitive standpoint, I think that this practice would be considered unfair and deceptive in your state and probably an unfair trade practice in most states, not to mention a possible violation of several other insurance laws. Unfortunately, someone’s going to have to step up and file an official complaint in order for the DOI to investigate. I shudder to think what will happen to these agents and their companies in the event that a total loss (or several total losses) escalates into a full scale, possibly class action lawsuit and the media gets hold of it. By undervaluing dwellings, these agents are commiting deliberate acts — which means that their E&O policy won’t cover them. And they know that a Personal Property claim under a total loss wouldn’t make the insured whole. These agents must be in desperate straits. I’d write a letter to the company’s home office, outlining what’s going on and giving specific examples of properties you know are undervalued, and tell them that if they don’t take action, you’re going to take the matter to the department of insurance and call for a public hearing. It’s likely that the insurer doesn’t know what’s going on at the local level. Sadly, some people are probably going to lose their jobs. But if the company can clean its own house, they’ll be better off than if the DOI intervenes and revokes their license — and livelihood. The saddest thing is that the well-being of innocent families is being threatened — and they don’t even know it. Reproduced, with permission, from the VuPoint Newsletter of the IIABA Virtual University. For more information on the Virtual University, click here. The members of the University Faculty offer expertise in every aspect of agency management and marketing. Many of these faculty members are available for in-house training or consulting. For contact information on faculty members, click here.

Eight Ways To Evaluate A Marketing Program
Rarely will you get something for nothing. But how do you know if you’re getting what you should out of your marketing program? This document by John Graham provides you with the guidelines to properly evaluate your marketing efforts. Getting something for nothing seems to be a universal human desire that extends into the business arena. For example, company owners and managers often ask, 'What should we expect to get out of our marketing program? How will our dollar investment translate into increased sales?' Although the questions seem appropriate, they’re dead wrong when it comes to marketing. The job of a company’s marketing program is not to increase sales or even to make sales. If this seems harsh, it’s meant to be. There’s far too much confusion about what marketing should accomplish. Marketing has one objective: to create customers. With this concept down pat, let’s take it a step further. The mission of marketing is to create an environment in which the customer comes to appreciate the benefits of doing business with your firm. So far, nothing has been said about what many consider to be the key issue making the sale. It isn’t that the subject of sales is being ignored. It’s just irrelevant. Marketing has nothing to do with selling, although it has everything to do with creating a proper environment so that making the sale is the logical, appropriate, and compelling next step. In other words, the task of marketing is to establish a climate in which the sales force can excel. Within this context, what kind of results can a company expect from its marketing program? Here are eight tangible, measurable ways to evaluate a marketing program: An effective marketing program differentiates a company (product or service) from the competition. By far, the most serious criticism a business might face is that it looks like every other outfit in its industry. From the customer’s viewpoint, there might be little or no way to pinpoint why it’s beneficial to do business with one company rather than another. When this happens, the final decision will be based on price more often than not and price alone. In far too many instances, companies literally steal from each other when it comes to their marketing efforts. All brochures look alike, with the same photos, the same words, and the same cover designs. 'In our industry, this is how it’s done.' This is the denial of differentiation. Looking alike is a killer. An effective marketing program will create a continuing flow of quality leads. For some reason, company executives focus attention on how much marketing will increase sales. A more effective test is to measure the flow of appropriate leads both currently and over an extended period of time. Although it might seem elementary or obvious, it’s easy to forget that leads precede sales. If a sales force is busy following up on qualified leads, sales will naturally increase. On the other hand, if the company’s salespeople must spend their time trying to get through doors and locate prospects, their time will be used to prospect rather than to sell. So, it’s not simplistic to suggest that the key to sales is leads. And it’s leads that are the concern of marketing. An effective marketing program keeps a company in the customer’s mind. It’s easy to forget the decision-making process that goes on in just about every level of every business. It goes something like this: when a need arises, whoever comes to mind first gets the business. Although we want to think that even our best customers think of us first, they’re probably buying items or services from others even if we can handle the job or order. In the same way, they might fail to think of us when making the buying decision. A primary role of marketing is to stay in the customer’s mind at all times. Developing programs that reinforce customers’ awareness of your company plays an essential role in good marketing. An effective marketing program gives a company a lock on the marketplace. Being recognized as a serious player and a leader in the field are essential qualities for attracting customers. To be accurately perceived by customers and prospects, careful and thorough effort is required to plan, shape, and continually foster a consistent image. Too many firms hold the view that 'doing a good job' is all that’s needed to get business. If this were true, why are so many shoddy, second-class suppliers still getting orders and taking business away from companies that can do better, more reliable work? An effective marketing program showcases a company’s expertise and knowledge. 'Here’s what we can do for you.' These words are heard every day of the week and, almost without exception, what follows is the price. Doing business is like trying to balance on a one-legged stool. When that one leg is price, it’s easy to fall off! Ironically, far too many companies fail to recognize and then enunciate, dramatize, or highlight their unique characteristics. This is a major mistake because it’s a business’ special qualities that make it attractive to both customers and prospects. We need to communicate our company’s capabilities. This isn’t just listing the equipment on the production floor or the number of service representatives. The best way to differentiate a business is through its level of knowledge that sets it apart from everyone else in the field. An effective marketing program gives a company a long-term orientation. American business seems to be suffering from 'The McDonald’s Syndrome'; 'The quicker the better' has become the dominant business philosophy. We think only in terms of a week, a month, a quarter — or, at the most, a year. We’re so preoccupied by today’s performance that we don’t have time to implement strategies for making certain we have customers three, four, five or more years from now. One of the functions of a marketing program is to keep us focused on making sure we’re in business for many, many tomorrows. An effective marketing program is customer-focused. Although companies tell you how much they care for their customers, all too often the customers they’re talking about are in their executive suite and the boardroom. They act as if their customers are the people who sign the checks, not the ones who pay the bills. The end-user appears to be irrelevant. To illustrate this point, a marketing services firm was asked to review and then comment on a company brochure, which was obviously the centerpiece of the firm’s marketing activities. In a report to the managing partner, the report included a comment about the brochure’s table of contents and the brochure copy itself. There were just three headings for the brochure: Our goals. Our approach. Our experience. (I’ve added italics to dramatize the point). Could this brochure be used? Absolutely. It would make an effective orientation document for new employees by telling the firm’s story from its own viewpoint. However, it totally fails to communicate the message that it understands its clients and their needs. A marketing brochure must make certain that attention is totally directed to customers and prospects. An effective marketing program plays a vital role in customer retention. There’s usually so much concern for getting new business that maintaining and expanding existing business is easily forgotten. It’s a mistake to think that marketing only concerns picking the fruit off the tree. It has just as much to do with caring for the fruit that’s been picked to make sure that it doesn’t spoil. Although it’s not widely discussed, customers leave because they feel ignored, insignificant, or forgotten. When this happens, they seek new relationships in order to re-ignite their value to a vendor. All too often, the loss of the business begins at the very moment the first order is signed. It happens subtly, almost imperceptibly — yet customers get an uncomfortable feeling that they’re not receiving the attention they enjoyed before they made the purchase. Without even recognizing that it’s happening, companies allow customer relationships to become dull, empty, and lifeless. A routine sets in that fails to keep the fire alive. The eyes of a professional marketer should never leave current customers in an effort to strengthen the relationship and the bond that exists between them. By asking the correct questions, it’s relatively easy to determine whether or not your marketing program is on track. If marketing is carefully planned and effectively implemented, you can expect a variety of positive, business-building results!