How much value do you place on your customers? Let's face it...without customers you have no sales...no profit...no business. Yeah, they're the keyplayers in the marketing game. In other words, wise marketers keep their finger on the pulse of their clientelle. The know what makes them tick and how to keep them coming back time and time again. Here are a four ways you can keep your customer's happy and loyal.

Make Customer Satisfaction # 1
Hey, forget about how many sales you make in a day, and look at how many customers you satisfied today! Every satisfied client means repeat sales. Yep, it might be a product that they purchase over and over again, or it may mean different products they pick up every time they walk through the doors. Heck, it might mean both repeat products and added impulse products as well.

Happy customers talk to their friends, and friends trust what their friends have to say about a business. Yep, even though it's an opinion...they'll take it as the gospel and set a lot of stock in it. Keep your customers saying good things about your products and services...it'll pay off.

Deliver...Don't Promise More Than You Can Handle
No one likes to be let down. Yeah, that means your customers will be happier if you promise less, but deliver more. Think about this...happy customers tell 3 of their friends about you, but disappointed customers gripe to 11 friends about what you didn't do right. Yep, it pays to keep your word!

What about those unhappy clients? Deal with them as quickly as possible and do what it takes to keep them happy. Yeah, you might lose a little profit today, but think of it like this...if you keep them on your side they'll come back again and again - and so will their friends.

Keep an Element of Surprise Alive
Have you ever gone shopping and at the counter discovered the item you purchased was on sale? Yeah, it feels great to save money you weren't expecting to save! Along with your advertised sales, slip in some unadvertised specials. Your customers will look forward to the unexpected savings they encounter at the cash register.

Think about this...would you rather shop at the new store across town where the clerks are unfriendly and you're not sure of the quality of the product when you've already got a good thing going on somewhere else? We all have a zone of comfort and are creatures of habit. When your customers are in the habit of smiling every time they walk out of your door, they'll be less likely to experiment with an uncertain competitor.

Tell Your Customers You Appreciate Their Business
We all enjoy the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with being appreciated. Yep, a smile...a thank you...a pat on the back...they all leave us feeling great. How can you send your customers out of the store with the knowledge that they are valuable to you? Just say it...I appreciate your business! Say it with a special sale...by letting them in on a new product or service your are adding just for them...or simply with a smile and heartfelt thanks.

Think about this...how do you feel when you know your opinion counts? Yeah, we all like to think people respect our thoughts and ideas. When your customers know you put a lot of stock in what they think of your business, they'll be more likely to talk it up to their friends and family. Reward them every time they share their opinion about your business. Set up a special referral reward program and watch the news travel.

Invest in your customers...the dividends are great!