The key to customer loyalty is to make every customer feel that he or she is one in a million. You do that through approaches that are out of the ordinary, communications that make them feel special, things that are just plain fun. Who said business had to be “businesslike”? I want my customers to think of me as a good friend who considers them special—because they are. Here are five ways I do that.

Five Ways to Ensure Customer Loyalty  

1. Begin to over deliver as soon as you close the deal. When you sign a contract with a new customer, always think of one more thing you can do for them. Then—right on the spot—tell them, “You know, I’ve got one other idea I’d like to implement for you without charge.” This approach really scores big because no one else does it. Think about it—when was the last time someone offered you something free after you signed a contract?  
   
   
2. Send a personal note. This may sound like old advice, but here’s the key: Don’t send a standard ABC Company note card. Go out of your way to find a card that reflects the customer as a person, and tell her so in the note: “I saw this card and just had to send it to you.” 
   
   
3. Become a card freak.  Always be on the lookout for unique, quirky greeting cards and create a file drawer with cards categorized by occasion. Consider focusing on unusual holidays. For example, send Labor Day cards telling your customers that you wouldn’t have a job without them. 
   
   
4. Take photos of your customers benefiting from your services. If you help a customer gain a contract with Macy’s, take a picture of her standing next to a large Macy’s sign.  Or if you’re a financial planner who has helped a client realize his dream of buying a new boat, get a picture of him with that boat. Then enlarge and frame these pictures and give them to customers—you can bet that you’ll see them prominently displayed the next time you visit their office.
   
   
5. And speaking of pictures, get a great shot of your customer having fun with you! Then enlarge and frame this and give her one copy while keeping another for your office. How great is it to go into your customer’s office and see a picture of the two of you having a blast? (And how disheartening to your competition?)