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Can you grow a customer?

English translation: Yes

12:32 Nov 2, 2009
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Business/Commerce (general)
English term or phrase: Can you grow a customer?
My colleague seems to believe so, I'm not sure he's right.

Thanks.
Barbara Østergaard
Denmark
Local time: 19:33
Selected answer:Yes
Explanation:
"Grow a customer" is a term used to imply an expanded business relationship with a customer, i.e. the customer starts out requiring one service from your company and through persuasion and other business methods they come to use the company for more of the services they require (e.g. they use you for translation, but expand to using your dtp services/interpretation) or use your business for a higher percentage of the service you provide (e.g. the company becomes their number one choice for translation).

Personally I'd prefer to "grow a relationship" with a customer though - it's clearer what is meant.
Selected response from:

Vicky Nash
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:33
Grading comment
Thank you for all your interesting comments on the query :-)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
3 +14Yes
Vicky Nash
5yes, it is a marketing development term
Stephanie Ezrol
3at most, you can groom a customer
Rolf Keiser
3marketing speak
Sheila Wilson


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
can you grow a customer?
at most, you can groom a customer


Explanation:
I don't think you can grow a customer - either he is one or he is not. At most you can groom a customer to your liking or preferences.

Rolf Keiser
Switzerland
Local time: 19:33
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  B D Finch: Given the use of "groom" in the sex industry and paedophilia, it might be best avoided nowadays.// There are subtle and less subtle differences between the context of the question, one's personal grooming, grooming a horse and grooming another person
2 hrs
  -> a well-groomed person doesn't neccessarily have to be associated with sex!
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +14
can you grow a customer?
Yes


Explanation:
"Grow a customer" is a term used to imply an expanded business relationship with a customer, i.e. the customer starts out requiring one service from your company and through persuasion and other business methods they come to use the company for more of the services they require (e.g. they use you for translation, but expand to using your dtp services/interpretation) or use your business for a higher percentage of the service you provide (e.g. the company becomes their number one choice for translation).

Personally I'd prefer to "grow a relationship" with a customer though - it's clearer what is meant.

Vicky Nash
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:33
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you for all your interesting comments on the query :-)

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Henry Schroeder: in America you can grow almost anything, I hear it in the most unbelievable contexts, among others, your "to grow a relationship"
8 mins
  -> Thanks :)
agree  Marek Daroszewski (MrMarDar)
10 mins
  -> Thanks :)
agree  Sarah Bessioud
13 mins
  -> Thanks :)
agree  inmb
37 mins
  -> Thanks :)
agree  Liam Hamilton
1 hr
  -> Thanks :)
agree  Mark Nathan: And of course it always helps if you fertilize them ;)
1 hr
  -> Lol, thanks! :)
agree  kolya: kolya
1 hr
  -> Thanks :)
agree  Alfa Trans (X)
1 hr
  -> Thanks :)
agree  Maria Fokin
2 hrs
  -> Thanks :)
agree  jccantrell: Oh, yes. You can also grow your business in the same way.
2 hrs
  -> Thanks :)
agree  eski: On a roll, Vicky! BTW: Your answer itself shows more than a bit of good business acumen. :)) eski
3 hrs
  -> Thanks eski! :)
agree  MarinaM
6 hrs
  -> Thanks :)
agree  Polangmar
8 hrs
  -> Thanks :)
agree  Gary D: Absolutly Yes
2 days 18 hrs
  -> Thanks :)
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
can you grow a customer?
marketing speak


Explanation:
Customer Obsession: How to Acquire, Retain, and Grow Customers in ... - Résultats Google Recherche de Livres
de Abaete de Azevedo, Ricardo Pomeranz - 2008 - Business & Economics - 240 pages
. Rounding out this invaluable guide are illuminating case studies of numerous national and international brands that successfully used relationship marketing ...
books.google.fr/books?isbn=0071497048...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 mins (2009-11-02 12:41:55 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Customer-Obsession-Customers-Relations...

Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 18:33
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 20
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11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
can you grow a customer?
yes, it is a marketing development term


Explanation:
It is odd sounding in normal written or conversational English, but the phrase is used in marketing.

Example sentence(s):
  • Employee Morale Wilting? Grow a Customer Focused Culture
  • The whole point of a relationship is to keep and grow a customer.

    Reference: http://www.hrtools.com/legal_compliance/employee_morale_wilt...
    Reference: http://books.google.com/books?id=K4AVfoJX6wMC&pg=PA56&lpg=PA...
Stephanie Ezrol
United States
Local time: 13:33
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 68

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Marek Daroszewski (MrMarDar): save that the first example sentence is about growing a culture focused on customers :-)
5 mins
  -> You are right. It is another example of that odd use of English.
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