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Health & Fitness

Why You Need to Convert the "Fair Weather Fan"!

I am lucky enough to be from a city where we have wonderful professional and college sports teams.  Year round I can be found engrossed in any number of games and cheering my teams on.

I am not a “fair weather fan”.  I believe in supporting my teams no matter what. I will wear their team shirts, follow their fan pages, and read their latest articles.

For many years our baseball team has not garnered the same attention our football and hockey teams have enjoyed.  They have not been over .500 in years. But this year is different.

Suddenly we are mentioned on sport’s news channels.  Our players are gaining national fans, not just local ones.  It has been fantastic and exciting.

While I understand the previous disinterest on a national level, where have these “new” local fans been?  Where were they when times were tough?

Even in those “lean” years, I have seen many wonderful and exciting baseball games from my team...and I have enjoyed each and every one of them.  
 
This started me thinking about how this same thing happens in business.  Many are drawn to the “next big thing” or the latest fad.  Companies can seem to be overnight sensations.

I am not saying that a sudden surge in sales or interest is not to be enjoyed and relished - after all, it happens infrequently.  There is certainly excitement in suddenly reaching a larger audience and gaining new customers. Every business welcomes the surge and welcomes the larger influx in capital.

The problem is that many times the “fair weather fan” is fickle.  Just as quickly as they came in, they will move on.

However, real value can be found in those clients and customers that stand by you through thick and thin.

We have been facing a “down” economy on a national and local level.  Many companies are struggling to stay afloat.  Through it all, I have formed an even stronger relationship with my clients.

I have been lucky.  They have stuck with me and I have stuck with them.  They know I have been flexible with their cash-flow issues and, in return, they have worked with me through my bouts with cancer and back surgery.

We share reciprocal loyalty!

That is why my goal is to always convert those “fair weather fans” into loyal, long-term customers.  It should be your goal too.

While the excitement of something new is what may draw them in initially, keeping these customers takes more work.  You need to prove to them that you are not just interested in making that initial sale.

Offering them quality and service over the long haul is what will win out.  You will find that the loyal “fan” is where the true value lies!

This quote from Jeffrey Gitomer (author, speaker) sums it up perfectly;

“You don't earn loyalty in a day. You earn loyalty day-by-day.”

Finding that special “give and take” relationship with a client is what keeps me doing what I do year after year.  And it is the same with my favorite sports teams.  I know I wouldn’t have it any other way!


Authored by     Kimberly Kline

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Image by JP Diroll Photography (Pittsburgh small business)!

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