When the economy slows down, smart salespeople do everything they can to keep their current customers happy. Here are some tips:

• Make them trust you. Honor your commitments. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Follow through and follow up.
• Anticipate problems and defuse them in advance. What’s the best way to do that? Stay in touch and make sure you understand your customers’ concerns.
• Act as a resource. Go beyond your interest in making the sale or earning a commission. Let customers know you’re ready and willing to offer your assistance, advice, ideas and support.
• Serve as their ambassador. If you don’t represent and relay your customers’ needs and wants to your organization, who will?
• Be creative. Break the rules, push the edges, refuse to accept the status quo. Keep customers’ ever-changing needs in mind and look for ways to satisfy them.
• Make yourself available when things are going well and when they aren’t. Don’t duck and cover—be there for the worst as well as the best.
• Become a student. Find out about customers’ business, goals, objectives, frustrations, needs and desires. Learn about their industries, their competitors and trends that affect them.
• Create a team spirit. Make sure customers know you and your organization are working together with them.