Getting to know you...

To build a relationship with anyone, one key thing you need to know is what they like and what they don't like. So to get really close to your customers (not to mention be in position to serve their needs better) find out what your customers really want, what they like, what they don't want, etc.

There are a number of different ways of doing this.

If you already have a reasonably good relationship with your main customers, you might want to simply call them on the phone for a chat. This is a great low-key way to first-hand feedback quickly, but make sure that you offer something in return and that you make participation optional and at their convenience, not yours.

Another option is to use surveys - either online or offline via the mail, for example. The online survey service that we use at the Women's Marketing Forum is Survey Monkey (http://www.surveymonkey.com) but there are others. For simple feedback on a limited range of preferences, you could also try running a poll on your website.

You could also run client advisory panel sessions, either as a one-off or as a regular event, to discover your customers' likes and dislikes along with suggestions and ideas for improvement. You might also be able to tie this in with any customer loyalty programme you are running.

A final option is to hire the services of a market researcher or use a full-service professional market research company. This is obviously the most expensive option, but it could be worth it if you have a great number of customers from whom you want to get feedback. If you do go down this route, though, make absolutely sure that the person or company is dealing with your customers as you would want them to - the last thing you want to do is antagonize your customers and risk losing them!