Lifelong ProfitsSecrets to gaining customers for life

Bowl them over with your service. Become such an integral partof their companies that you have your own desk in their offices.Develop solutions before they even discover a need.

You won't have a lifelong relationship with many customers,but when you do, you'll profit from it. I have a handful ofcustomers with whom I've done business for many years at morethan one company, including my own. A few represent millions ofdollars in income over the years. You can enjoy the same kind oflong-term relationship with your best customers if you never stopselling them.

They may become your friends. They may rely on your service orproducts to the exclusion of all others. They may tell you thatthey'll always be your customers and sign long-term contractsto prove it. But if you take them and their business for granted,you'll regret it someday.

Excerpted fromCreative Selling: Boost your B2B sales