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The purpose of winning battles is to achieve victory. |
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Big companies get big by concentrating their strengths in big markets. Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon are in the petroleum business, Microsoft and Intel are in the computer industry, and Marriott and Holiday (officially Bass Hotels and Resorts) are in the hospitality business with a variety of brands. |
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The sales manager of one of the world's largest container manufacturers told me he could attribute 58 percent of his previous year's business to agreements where a long-term partnering arrangement had been achieved. In each instance his company served as the sole or primary supplier to the customer. Business partnerships between customers and suppliers have become an excellent way to convert a series of transactions into a lasting relationship. |
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In achieving international growth, successful companies enter fewer countries, but penetrate each of them more deeply. The controlling factor in each country is the success achieved in meeting the needs of the customer better than the domestic competition. |
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Your objective is not just to win; your objective must be to create a sustainable victory. In marketing, you have achieved no victory when you make the sale and lose the customer. In any endeavor, the highest cost is the first victory; winning must provide a base for future relationships. |
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Loyalty programs that reward repeat customers are another way to develop continuing relationships. Winning is not achieved in completing one transaction; victory is in the value of multiple purchases over time. Considerable evidence exists that repeat customers spend more money and are more profitable. Customer loyalty is earned by those organizations who "delight" the customer. That is, these companies do not just make a sale; they satisfy the customer in such an overwhelming manner that a long-term relationship is established. Customers who find the product or service to be outstanding can generate an incredible amount of repeat business. The lifelong value of a customer at a gas station accumulates into revenue of tens of thousands of dollars and at an automobile dealership into hundreds of thousands of dollars. |
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