Author Seth Godin is a businessman and I pay attention to what he says. He wrote recently about why customers buy from you in a business situation.

His insights were fascinating. He said that people buy for at least one of the six reasons listed below. I agree with him.

I write to you often about customer satisfaction. Recently, I quoted an expert who said, “If the customer can live without you, eventually the customer will.” Other times, I have written about customer loyalty stating that our goal should be to have the customer demand us instead of preferring us.

Used appropriately, this list can help you think about strategies that build up your relationships to where your customers can’t live without you and your services are in demand.

• Avoiding risk –This is the primary element. You don’t make your customer look bad. You don’t make your customer lose money or time. You don’t embarrass them with poor service. I have found the quickest way to lose a customer is to have a negative event and not act to fix it in a hurry. When the customer begins to worry that you might send poor quality, or that you might not show up on time, or begins to think your pricing won’t be competitive – the risk of doing business becomes high. So, the first challenge to working with a customer is to do no harm.
• Avoiding hassle –This is the second most important element. We make it easier to do business. Easier to order. Easier to pay. We know our stuff, so we can answer questions with one call. We get the paperwork right. The customer doesn’t even have to think about it after the order is made. We make it hassle-free. Become a hassle, and your life as a supplier will be shortened.
• Gaining praise –Our association with them helps advance their reputation in some way. This happens when we bail them out from a mistake they made, or we solve an unsolvable problem. When they get the credit for finding the solution, which has a high return, it works to our benefit.
• Gaining power – When you do something that advances their career and stature in the organization. Helping someone gain stature because of the quality of work we provide helps even more.
• Having fun –It helps when your customer likes you socially. Just does. Find something that fosters the friendship or builds the relationship if you can. It may be a mutual interest. It may be your sense of humor. Becoming someone the customer looks forward to seeing helps the customer relationship.
• Making a profit –You would think this is the most crucial thing, but Godin suggests it is not. In most customer relationships, people are spending the owners’ money. Everyone knows profit is essential. But, regarding careers, the other five issues have a way of making an impact. Profit is necessary, but it may not always be primary.

The vendors I value the most have done all six of these things. And the people I have served the best would report that I have done all six as well.

It’s a great lesson in salesmanship and service, whether your customer is internal or external.