If you visit dictionary.com to look “customer” and “client” up, you’ll find these first definitions:
customer
1. a person who purchases goods or services from another…client
1. a person or group that uses the professional advice or services of a lawyer, accountant, advertising agency, architect, etc.”
I’ve shortened them to make a point: You don’t want customers any more after reading those definitions. You want clients. You don’t want people who buy from you once because you simply have the “goods” they need right now. You want ongoing relationships with people who use your professional advice and expertise — who buy from you because of how you help them, not what you hand them.
You may think this is splitting hairs; that it’s semantics. But it’s really a mindset. Cultivate relationships so that you become indispensable for what you know (that you can transfer), how you help, and how you make people feel about the interaction. When you do that, you’re building a client base, not a customer list.
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Hero
2 years ago
I totally agree with you.
This aproach (client vs. customer) is beyond a slaes person’s attitude. There are several Marketing Aproach was built on this philosophy.
Good sales reps would know what you are talking about and I beleive, sooner or later, most of them become business owners.
Phill
10 months ago
After being overly fussy about a project and searching I found this definition to clear up my thoughts. I couldnt agree more.
Thanks
Iain
6 months ago
I concur with the other folk, and it is a useful distinction. However, I have worked with organisations that use the term ‘client’ , but the behaviours are geared towards once off business and vice versa.
My own conclusion is that the label ‘client’ or ‘customer’ is semantic; the differentiation is the marketing philosophy and how well these values are translated into practices and behaviours.