Every five weeks they send me a reminder letter that it's time for a cut and if I don't call, they phone to remind me. They also have a loyalty program where every tenth cut is free. See how proactive they are about getting me back?

I pointed out that this actually costs them relatively little, but it's no contest when it comes to getting my hair cut. I always go back to them.

It's important to remember that if you don't treat customers in this way, most will leave you for no apparent reason. It's scary stuff when you think about it in those terms, I continued.

If people are doing business with you simply because it's convenient, then you're risking your livelihood on their whims-and who wants that? To get some control back over your prosperity you must develop a database and use it like Adrian and my hairdresser.

What about people that just call up for a quote? Charlie asked.

Everyone, Charlie. Make sure there's always a script by the phone that ensures that whoever answers asks for the person's details so you can follow up and send them a special offer.

I've certainly never done that before.

And that's why it's so powerful; almost nobody does it.

Almost everyone except me from now on, Brad. I can assure you of that.

Great. I've got another 60 ways you can get them back more often.

Charlie Gets to Meet Barbara the Mover for a Lesson in Boosting the Average Dollar Sale

We only had two more destinations left, and since Charlie was absorbing the information like a sponge, I decided to finish our excursion in one day. This would also help impress on him the straightforward nature of what it takes to excel in business. It doesn't take months and years to turn a business around. It can be done almost instantly by applying the principles of the chassis.

Where to now? asked Charlie enthusiastically, obviously starting to enjoy himself a little more. 46