Dan Kennedy is known in business and marketing circles as the “millionaire maker”. His fame comes from his results. He takes his clients and shows them step by step how to take and idea and turn it into money.

Entrepreneur Magazine says Dan Kennedy has 101 money making ideas for any business owner. One of the things that make Dan unique is his ability to take his principles and apply them to any industry or business. He currently works with clients in over 50 different businesses, industries and professions. In any given year, he’ll earn $250,000 plus in a single month just providing direct-response and direct marketing advice and strategy.

Kennedy works with small businesses and huge corporations. A small operation littered with debt and failed advertising will turn to Dan’s instruction. Less than two years later, the business has zero debt and a home-based mail-order business generating over $200,000 a month with insanely high profit margins.

Dan is best known, on the other hand, for his marketing consultations with billion dollar information marketing companies. He has been a prominent member of the Guthy Renker marketing brain trust for years. U.S. Gold credits Kennedy with increasing it’s sales by the millions.

In the case of my business, Dan brought it to good health with one simple principle I wasn’t applying. I think it is a principle ignored by many businesses. It is the principle of total customer value. Basically, the crucial skill of having relationships with existing customers is an essential profit center. He sees it as even more vital than how well a business is attracting new customers.

We turned our whole business around by focusing greater attention and energy to providing excellent customer service. One of the skills that goes with this focus is handling customer complaints. Learning how to handle customer difficulties in a way that grows the customer’s loyalty rather than fractures it.

Customers can and do take offense to any number of things when it comes to doing business with you. Often they are upset with the product, the prices or the customer support. You can’t simply ignore their complaints. Start by acknowledging the problem and set about defusing the situation by:

Thanking them. Thank him/her for their comment, even if it was expressed in an impolite manner. Try to remember that their attack is not personal, and it’s best that you don’t treat it that way. Keep your composure and remain cool.

Start your response with: “Let me see if I understand you completely.” Then restate the person’s complaint back to them. What this accomplishes is vitally important. First of all, it gives the customer a chance to cool down. It also shows the client that you are truly listening and are serious about their concerns.

Finding at least one thing in their complaint that you can agree with. Regardless of how unfounded their complaint is in your mind, you should pick out one major point that you can agree with. Then, build your rebuttal on that point. For instance: “Well, Mr. Harris, I can certainly understand you being upset about delivery being late. I will personally make sure that it doesn’t happen again. Now, about your other concerns…” This lets them know that you are not defensive about the situation, and you would rather help solve their problem than make excuses.

Solving the customer’s problem. The client picks a fight, not to fight, but to be heard and make you understand that there is a problem. It’s your role to play along and stay locked in on solving the problem. These situations handled correctly are when true customer loyalty is build. Success here adds to your total customer value and your profits.

I have no doubt that these lessons saved my business. Refocusing and staying locked on the concept of total customer value can, by itself, turn your entire business around. It can go from dull and pain inducing to exciting and profitable. Dan’s “Magnetic Marketing” is loaded with these sorts of techniques. Simple, inexpensive if not free, and having a quick noticeable impact on profits.

He’ll let anyone try it for 1 year with a full money back guarantee with no hassles or fuss. Sometimes when you come to the point where things aren’t working and you have nothing to lose. That’s when the right teacher appears. Or maybe you are just starting and can’t afford set backs.

My advice would be to copy those that have had success. Take the trail blazed by the millionaire business man.