Here’s the tough question: How do you know if your customer is still a customer? Or if they already made their final purchase?
- Dell has a report that shows I’m a Dell customer, because I bought a bunch of Dells. But they don’t have a report that says my most recent computer purchase was a Mac.
- Toyota has a report that shows I’m a Toyota customer, because I bought a Sienna. But they don’t have a report that says I’ve been visiting the Honda dealer.
- We have a hosted project management system who thinks we’re a good customer, and we still pay them a bunch of money. But they don’t have a report that says that many of our users are spending their time at Google Docs instead.
Advice:
- Watch for declines in usage from existing customers, even if they’re paying.
- Create recurring contact opportunities, like free upgrades or service, so you know if those customers are still using your stuff.