Locate and identify your most valuable customers (MVC). Wilfredo Pareto approach suggests the 20/80, you can make your own choosing. Based on sales last year and timely information at different levels of the company, locate and identify at least between 5 and 10% of its best customers.

Also look for and identify those customers that perhaps s marginal contribution in terms of costing the company more money than they actually contribute. Do not do anything complicated. Remember that simple beginning we will be going to complicate and, therefore, difficult if you start ends up being something unmanageable. So look for a simple mechanism that allows you to isolate about 10 to 20% of their worst customers, among which can reach include those who do not buy anything else in the past year, those whose purchases were reduced over time or those who do not accept its proposals or quotations, or quotations are invited in only to fill a slate. Once evaluated in its real dimension reduce costs in relation to these customers (mailing, tele-marketing)

Locate and identify a number of companies with which you really want to do business in the coming year. Your company to do business can surely benefit from partnerships and alliances with “other.” Locate and select the latter is a very important task. In this type of partnerships and alliances do not be afraid to take the initiative thinking “that the other is to enlarge” (itself currently does not draw you any benefit as it is not an ally) and neither is carried by the impression that your company is bigger “and we will partner with the little ones. Believe that we are in a slide …. ” Partners guys can do many things that you currently can not do and in other cases should not do. Add these companies to your database and it is suggested that you register at least more than a couple of names on each of these companies.

Locate and identify those valuable customers “complaining.” These people are giving you the opportunity - perhaps may be the last - to retain them as customers. The recovery rate of customers is very low, if not we learn and take action within 30 days to recover as Customer probability is extremely low (less than 20%). For these customers it is suggested to assign a “nanny” to their requests. Designate one person - it could be someone from the new field of Quality Assurance - so in the shortest possible time we can check whether the situation has improved. Note that most customers do not complain, so that when they do we are giving - perhaps the last opportunity - to continue holding them as customers.

Find the most valuable customers are buying far fewer than they did normally. If a customer buys us less than 40% of what was commonly used - and still live - is likely to strengthen its relationship with someone who almost certainly is his opponent (the companies can not see their sales decrease - and not to shop - 40% as they are very few who have a contribution margin of this amount). For these customers have to visit now. You will not have many more opportunities to visit … and to be treated by them. And remember, live competition has the same joys and the same doubts and risks that you run, sometimes with very similar goals, do not give you a chance to strengthen their relationship with him who is his client.

You already know his opponent but may not know how much potential customers spend their own in competition. Remember that competitive advantages are not born simply because you do things better in your business, you have them to do better than your competitor (in a roundabout and dressage, the rider who wins the first prize is not his best dressage horse, but is one that best done in relation to the dressage rider who does the same with another horse). Perhaps these customers buy from you only a couple of products (because you are a more focused company with all that that means) and on the other hand you are buying many products within its jurisdiction. Add “modules” to their products by making proposals that they can not refuse, or to reject, are “at risk” and have something to lose.

Locate and identify those customers “who are underground.” In Latin America the informal economy is extremely high, and there are a number of so-called SME entrepreneurs who prefer to operate “in underground tunnels.” Remember the story I have told about the “who came not agreed and agreed that … no wine.” These people are willing to spend to earn, but have a way of operating that is probably very different from yours. They prefer to choose other forms of payment, and assemble various different companies, which more often than do larger ones. They are used to roads that are “shortcuts” as they have neither the time nor the energy to go the usual ways. And do not forget that the thinking of these entrepreneurs is almost completely opposite to the staff of professionals who may be working in your company.