SEAL THE HOLE IN THE BUCKET

Today, marketing has been made more complex than it needs to be. Everyone gets importance except the customer. In fact most companies are not even aware of the actual definition of the term “Customer”. Probing further, we discovered that a clear definition of the term customer does not exist.

Our book consists of two parts:

In Part One, we have attempted to provide a clear definition for the term ‘Customer’ and ‘Consumer’ and made clear a distinction between the two. In business today, there is an overlap between these two terms, which does not make for coherent decision making.

Then we have discussed in depth the importance of focusing on CUSTOMER RETENTION rather than on CUSTOMER ATTRACTION, something which is again rarely observed in the business scenario today.

Part One then justifies why we feel business leaders today have a short term approach focusing on attraction at the cost of retention, which is perilous for business growth and survival. Part One ends with a hopeful message, that of ushering in an era of Marketing Renaissance, which would result in a Win-Win for business as well as for the customer, which is the only logical road ahead.

Part One thus focuses on the WHAT and the WHY of Customer Retention, establishing it as the paramount business objective for any business.

With the importance of retention established, Part Two goes on to give a clear road map as to HOW any organisation, irrespective of its size and the industry it is in can ACHIEVE customer retention without incurring any cost or installing new technology and reap all benefits therefrom.

This is explained with the help of 13 tenets or basic laws which business needs to follow to achieve retention. They include elements like the creation of genuine USP’s (with the term clearly defined and many examples, both Indian and International provided), how word of mouth can be effectively used, reducing the need for expensive advertising, how relationships can be established for keeps, how a marketing oriented approach can be the heart of an organisation rather then the sales oriented approach which so many organisation follow, how ethics needs to be the foundation of all marketing activities, and so on.

Throughout the book, multiple relevant examples have been provided. The language is simple and clear.

The book has been appreciated by the Business Editor of The Hindu Business Line, General Managers of 5 Star Hotels. MD’s of leading manufacturing organisation and internationally renowned H.R. recruiters

Our first book “Where is My Ketchup” has been on the best seller list at Strand, Crossword and Oxford.

Walls of progressive companies are adorned with posters stating that it takes 3 to 5 times "more" money to acquire a customer than to retain him.
Chandrashekhar Pitre
Senior Director Marketing South Asia

    

    

    

        

            
                
            
        
    
    

        

            

    

        

    

            

                

    Chandrashekhar Pitre
                

    Senior Director Marketing South Asia
            
            
        
        

            

                                
            
            

    
Walls of progressive companies are adorned with posters stating that it takes 3 to 5 times "more" money to acquire a customer than to retain him. While this is now common knowledge, there is little awareness and consistency about "what" companies need to do to "plug the leaking bucket". This book attempts to provide clear, concise steps towards achieving that objective which is critical for the survival of every business
        
    
    
    
Prof. Khan's new work is a wonderful gift for all practitioners of Marketing. Unlike most works written by academics, here is a book that is uncluttered by jargon, rich in anecdote from every product and service category
Paritosh Joshi
President & New Ventures

    

    

    

        

            
                
            
        
    
    

        

            

    

        

    

            

                

    Paritosh Joshi
                

    President & New Ventures
            
            
        
        

            

                                
            
            

    
Prof. Khan's new work is a wonderful gift for all practitioners of Marketing. Unlike most works written by academics, here is a book that is uncluttered by jargon, rich in anecdote from every product and service category, and all in all a delightful and absorbing read. Even as you relish the book Prof. Khan successfully kits you out with a brimful of practical suggestions that you can readily bring to bear on your own brand's marketing charter.
        
    
    
    
Messrs. Khan and Gonda lend a refreshing perspective to the idea of loyalty and customer retention. Thought provoking yet practical…
Shiv Moulee
Chief Client Officer

    

    

    

        

            
                
            
        
    
    

        

            

    

        

    

            

                

    Shiv Moulee
                

    Chief Client Officer
            
            
        
        

            

                                
            
            

    
Messrs. Khan and Gonda lend a refreshing perspective to the idea of loyalty and customer retention. Thought provoking yet practical…
        
    
    
    
Most marketing textbooks are hundreds of pages long and are filled with term definitions that hardly anyone remembers.
Krishna Durbha
Value Added Services

    

    

    

        

            
                
            
        
    
    

        

            

    

        

    

            

                

    Krishna Durbha
                

    Value Added Services
            
            
        
        

            

                                
            
            

    
Most marketing textbooks are hundreds of pages long and are filled with term definitions that hardly anyone remembers. When it comes to implementing a marketing strategy, it’s difficult to remember the 4P’s (or 5 or 6 or whatever you follow) so it’s hard to put together a strategy that will work for the particular product/brand/company. Businesses are hungry for information on how to market effectively and this book takes a hands-on, step-by-step, easy-to-measure results approach to creating a marketing strategy that has been proven to work even at very large companies.
        
    
    
    
The Indian market has changed dramatically in the last two decades. We have moved from a country of shortages to a country of surplus in most consumer goods markets.
Shiva Kumar
M.D.

    

    

    

        

            
                
            
        
    
    

        

            

    

        

    

            

                

    Shiva Kumar
                

    M.D.
            
            
        
        

            

                                
            
            

    
The Indian market has changed dramatically in the last two decades. We have moved from a country of shortages to a country of surplus in most consumer goods markets. Most monopolies, public or private created by artificial forces have either disintegrated or have been overhauled. A number of forces came together to create this strong growth in Indian consumer markets.This new scenario calls for a different marketing mindset, that is one of retention and not penetration. Retention will mean more consumer and customer education, will mean better management of the consumer relationship after the purchase has been made, it will mean more dialogue with the consumer. In short, getting the same consumer to buy the same brand again is the challenge. This is labeled retention by many.
I am happy to see Dr. Kalim Khan and Prof. Cyrus Gonda address the concept of consumer, customer and retention in this second book of theirs. I am sure you will enjoy their stimulating presentation of these concepts.