Last week we visited about relationship marketing, about sharing stories, about the way communication affects your business. I believe in it so much, I’m devoting a second week to this topic, so buckle your seat belts and let’s take a ride. Let’s begin by making sure we’re climbing into the same car.

When I say relationship marketing, are we on the samepage as to what that means? Are we talking about the same thing? At its root,we’re talking about the back story of a sale. What brought a client or customerto you? More importantly, how will you keep the client coming back? What isyour relationship with the client? That’s where relationship marketing comesinto play. It’s the connection you have between sales that cements yourworking relationship. One and done is no way to run a business!

Some make a science out of it with all kinds of apps and programs, but we’re a hometown kind of people, so let’s keep it simple. We believe in local business. We support local businesses. Buying local warms our hearts. Putting away the complicated stuff, let’s focus on people, and how we form connections with them.

My mother was crippled and wore specially made shoes. When she needed work done on those shoes, we’d travel to another state to a repairman who had helped her once before. He beamed each time he saw her, and she bantered with him delightedly. She'd proudly say, "I came a thousand miles to have you work magic on my shoes!" Phone calls and cards between visits cemented that relationship. (Too bad internet was yet to be invented!) It didn’t matter how far it was, how inconvenient it was to take a day or two off to reach him; there was only one place she went for shoe repair. One. That’s relationship marketing.

Take a ride down Main Street and look at the ways you cangenerate that connection. It’s wonderful if you see your clients or customersbetween sales. Friday night football is a great opportunity, but it isn’talways realistic. Don’t let a chasm exist between a point of sale and when acustomer next needs or shares your services. Fill that space with a, dare I sayit, a friendship? Social media is a great way to keep in touch. Growlikes on your Facebook page. Post frequently, always remembering the rule of 5.Email can also help. Regular newsletters connect you if you are convertingclicks into readers. A blog is a huge help, because people like stories.Surveys, customer loyalty programs, discounts…one way or another, everybusiness must either bring in an endless supply of customers or be able toretain customers as friends. That is relationship marketing.

You’ll experience engine trouble if you aren’t doing thiswith a genuine heart. Connections made for the selfish interest of lining yourbank account are going to stall your engine. Be real. Be honest. Make smalltalk without being salesy. From weather to how about those Chiefs?! youengage in conversations every day, and I like to call it schmoozing. Whateveryou call it in your car, the result is the same. You’re forming a connectionthat becomes a friendship that translates eventually into a recurrent sale.When you are selling, offer real value.

Fail to connect, and this can become a very short ride. TechTarget offers an in-depth article on the subject and it’s an easy read. Ifyou are interested in a broader program, Ambassadordescribes another way to build a fabric of lifelong support. The key point isvery simple: every business needs to focus on relationship marketing to drivesales forward. Referrals for a point of contact enterprise are just asimportant as retention of clients with ambassadorships. As a business owner,you own the car, maintain the engine, and often direct the course. Make sureyou’re driving it down a path that focuses on building relationships, notmaking sales. Be the one. The only one your customers turn to. BE that shoerepairman.