Adding a new customer can be hard work, especially with tough competition in the market. Making a strong first impression is crucial, yes, but leaving a lasting impression can be just as important.

I think back on many good clients I had the great pleasure to work with over the years and what it may have taken to earn their business: meetings in person to discuss projects, evenings and weekends polishing up a quote, researching products for their project, numerous conversations, negotiations, etc.

That’s not to mention how we first were connected, maybe a referral from a builder, architect, designer or maybe it all started from a cold call. At the end of it all, you have to wonder: How much time and energy did it take to earn their trust for the initial referral?

Unfortunately, all too often, we can get so wrapped up in the project that by the time we are done with the project, we may also be done communicating with the client–which is a big mistake if you want to keep business flowing.

Look at some of the examples set by much larger companies: Amazon, Apple, BMW and so many others. They all send me weekly emails asking if I am satisfied with a product or service and suggesting other products or services that may be of interest to me.

What Happens When Crime Prevention Meets AI (And Why We Can’t Rely on AI Alone)

In an era where crime continues to evolve, relying solely on AI-based solutions proves insufficient in preventing sophisticated threats and false alarms. The webinar will emphasize the paramount importance of human judgment and intuition in tandem with AI technology to create a truly complete security solution. Our session will explore how Deep Sentinel’s revolutionary approach combines the best of both worlds—advanced artificial intelligence and the presence of highly trained human guards. Together, these elements create an unparalleled level of protection for residential and commercial properties alike. Join our panel of esteemed lighting experts that will dive into why it’s time for integrators to rethink their role in the outdoor lighting industry. Register Now! 

Granted, it can be overdone and become annoying, but they still have a habit of making me feel like a valued customer and keeping their brand top of mind for me.

Making a Bad Last Impression Can Be a Death Knell for Business

Ask yourself: Are your customers satisfied with the work that you have done? If they aren’t happy, how do you know? What are you doing about it? If they are happy, how can you spread this message to other future, potential clients? Are you encouraging them to tell their friends and family?

A few weeks ago, I had a friend contact me and ask if I could swing by his house and give him some advice on his AV system.

Since I no longer have an installation company, he hired a local company years ago to install an extensive distributed audio system when he and his wife remodeled their home. They had 20 speakers installed in the home, for ten rooms of audio, all being powered by a single two-channel amplifier. The “pre-amp” was a stereo receiver, and they had two speaker selectors to feed the audio to the speakers.

Sadly, the entire system had been unusable for several years.

When they would turn on the system, it would run for roughly two minutes, then shut down. They had tried repeatedly to contact the installation company, but to no avail, they never received any calls back. It should be important to note that the same company had also installed a significant automation and distributed audio system for their business, which was later redone by another contractor.

The above is an extreme example of unprofessionalism, but still valid to make the point that this customer was lost forever due to poor communication and a complete lack of follow-up. In summary, they had a very poor “last” impression of this company. So, what can be done to keep a customer for life and leave a good “last” impression?

Show Your Appreciation for the Customer’s Business

For many consumers, the building or remodeling experience can be exhausting and expensive. Many of my past clients have made comments along the following: “The project took way longer and cost more money than we ever imagined.”

Since the AV contractors are typically the last ones to finish a build, they can sense a feeling from the homeowner that they just want all contractors out of their home and are done receiving invoices.

When I had my installation company, to deliver a good “last impression” and show our appreciation for the business we received from the client, we would always present them with a gift at the end of the project. We created a custom ceramic popcorn bowl with our logo and phone number on the bottom of the bowl and “thank you” inside the bowl.

The bowl would be filled with microwave popcorn packs, candy, a few movies and some custom movie tickets. The movie ticket would include a discount coupon for them and a removable second discount coupon with our contact details to provide to any friends or family as an enticement to work with us.

Always Follow Up with the Client

I also made a point on the first Wednesday of every month to follow up with each customer that we completed work for in the past month. This was not just limited to large projects. If we installed a network jack or mounted a TV, that customer also received a phone call, not an email, from me.

The feedback I received from the customers was incredibly interesting:

1. They were always grateful for the call
2. Some of the customers I thought would be very happy, happened to have questions or concerns about how to operate some of the elements of their new system
3. Sometimes the call would result in new revenue, adding a TV, programmable remote control and finishing a room of audio that was just roughed in

In addition to contacting the end user customer, I would also contact the source of the referral, builder, architect, etc. and provide them with an update on the client and their system.

For example: “I just had a conversation with Mr. Jones, and he and his wife had a few questions about their system, but overall, they love it! They are really enjoying the outdoor audio and using it every day.”

The building industry professionals I worked with in the past greatly valued these updates from me and very often, while I was communicating with them, they would provide me with another, new potential client referral to contact. It just goes to show you that a good “last impression” doesn’t just have to be made with clients.

The “Last Impression” Doesn’t Always Have to Be the Final One

Your customers are a great asset to your business and how you choose to leave a “last impression” could very well determine if they become a repeat customer.

Just think: our industry is constantly evolving and developing new and exciting products and categories, like tuneable lighting, energy management, intelligent power management to monitor devices and reboot them if they lock up, outdoor living space enhancements, and many other enhancements for the home. How are you going to know if a client is interested in an upgrade they did not originally include in the design like video doorbells, lighting control, climate control, etc. if you never reach out to them?

Creating a nice, short email blast template to showcase some new products and technologies and offer a free home consultation is easy and can develop some new business opportunities. You could also include some tech tips: the latest and greatest hi-res streaming music options, suggestions for an alternative to cable or satellite services, top 4K movies out now or coming soon, and many others.

In addition to email blasts, there are obviously other ways to communicate this information, to your existing and potential new customers, which are all too often overlooked: updating news and posts on your website, social media, guest editorials like this with your local magazines and newspapers; featuring a recent project, discussing new technology or offering tips when considering technology for your home.

Engaging with your customers not only keeps you connected with them and creates ideas for upgrades and enhancements to their homes, but the topics covered may also spark conversations between your client and their friends, family and associates who may also need support for new technology in their home or business.

Failing to maintain contact with your customers and leaving no last impression is a massive mistake and can create so many missed opportunities. Hopefully, you will never experience losing a customer as described at the beginning of the article, but then again you may never know if you are not proactively checking in with your customers.

If you have done things in your business to maintain relationships with your customers, I would love to hear from you. Please email me anytime at: [email protected].

• Page 1