I came across this article I wrote over 15 years ago, and as much as things have changed in that time, particularly the explosion of digital marketing, so much remains true today. My takeaway is don’t ignore the fundamentals of sales and marketing.

The president of a design firm in our building once told me they were “open” to exploring an alternative source for their printing needs. He explained that despite purchasing over $100,000 in print annually, they no longer felt the same level of appreciation that they did when their relationship began a year ago. He said that they rarely hear from the printer, are always the ones who have to initiate contact to check on job status, and that they never get thanked (printing it on the bottom of an invoice doesn’t count!). He further noted that while providing accurate information, the person who takes their calls seemed to lack enthusiasm.

Undoubtedly, many of your competitors offer a quality product and service, with prices and delivery standards that are reasonable or excellent. Given this, how can you continuously attract and win new clients and prevent your current clients from being drawn away by competitors? All things being equal, your clients will naturally go where they consistently feel well-treated and appreciated.

Sure, you care about your clients, but what happens if you need more time to show it? The answer is to do a little more planning and be more thoughtful, attentive, and creative about the quality of your communication. Set up a series of "nurturing" mailers throughout the year – a continuous client contact program that will demonstrate at regular, pre-planned intervals that you honestly and sincerely care about their well-being.

Start growing the relationship. Marketing is now about giving, not asking. Offer valuable tips, stop by occasionally in person, and send press releases, cards, and other greetings that remind clients of your commitment to service, value, quality, innovation, and loyalty. After all, it’s a lot easier (and less expensive) to keep clients than it is to find new ones. Your growth depends on it!