A number of years ago I was on a weekend outing with my husband and a group of his friends, including one guy who had recently gotten engaged to a “knockout.”  She was gorgeous–long, really long, blonde hair; perfect make-up; great  nails, dressed exceptionally.

The rest of the women (well, maybe I’m projecting my own thoughts on the others, but…) thought: “Wow! How do we compare to that!!?!” Fortunately, she was one of the many beautiful women (and men) that I’ve met over the years who wasn’t really that “full of themselves.” Over the course of the weekend after many conversations, and a few cocktails from time to time, we got to talking. I admitted my awe about how well put together she was and my wish that I could be as well put together.

She laughed and said: “You should have seen me last week!” “What do you mean?,” I asked.

And then I heard the rest of the story. The week before she’d had a full salon treatment including having her normally dark hair bleached. She’d had her nails and make-up done. She’d gone on a full-blown shopping spree with a fashion advisor for new clothes. And, over the past few months, she revealed, she’d lost quite a bit of weight and had been seeing a personal trainer. All, she admitted, in anticipation of this trip where she was going to meet her husband’s buddies.

Wow! What I was thinking, but didn’t say, was: “Why would you put so much effort into impressing a group of strangers, if you hadn’t been concerned about the impression you were making on the people you interacted with every day?”

We all do similar things, of course, in both our personal and professional lives. How many employees just “put in time” at their current jobs, yet “put their best foot forward” during a job interview with a potential new employer? How many businesses, over time, begin to lose focus on the needs of existing customers and clients, yet make exceptional efforts to woo new ones?

We’ve all heard it before, and we’ll likely hear it again and again, but it’s very true and very important:  “Your best customers are you current customers.” Yet how many business owners, consultants and marketers spend far more time and effort attempting to “woo the new” instead of focusing on delighting those that have already chosen them?

Balance, of course, is the key. We must always be seeking new sources of revenue because we never know when existing sources may diminish for whatever reason. But, in the process of doing that, we can’t lose sight of the value of the business we already have. We can’t become complacent about the loyal customers and clients that have been with us for years. They matter too. In fact, we might argue, they matter more!

If you’re spending more time and effort to make a good impression on those you haven’t engaged with yet, it may be time to evaluate whether you’re sending the signal to your loyal customers that they’re just not that important.

Recommended Reading:

The Everything Guide to Customer Engagement