© Copyright Acquisition International 2025 - All Rights Reserved.

Article Image - Customers Aren’t Numbers, But They Really Count
Posted 5th August 2020

Customers Aren’t Numbers, But They Really Count

When acquisitions go wrong, it’s because of a failure to look after the people involved, and there are none more important than customers, writes Carlene Jackson of Cloud9 Insight.

Mouse Scroll AnimationScroll to keep reading

Let us help promote your business to a wider following.

Customers Aren’t Numbers, But They Really Count
customers count

When acquisitions go wrong, it’s because of a failure to look after the people involved, and there are none more important than customers, writes Carlene Jackson of Cloud9 Insight.

Leapfrogging your way to growth through acquisitions is an attractive idea, but one where many businesses come unstuck. The numbers might look great, the business case sound but, then, for some reason, it all goes wrong. Understandably, business owners want to generate returns after making a large investment, but they must never forget there’s a human element to this. Client accounts and contracts are great assets but only if customers remain satisfied. Here are my five top tips for ensuring your next acquisition pays in the long term.


Put Staff First   

New employees should be your first priority, especially if they are customer facing staff. These are the people who have looked after your new customers to date and, if they’re not happy, it will soon show up in the sales figures. If you really care about customers, you need to care about your employees more – even the ones you’ve only just met. If key people leave then there is considerable risk that clients may take their business elsewhere. Give honest communication about likely headcount changes to dispel rumours and give job security to those you wish to keep. If good people are looking around for new roles, and recruitment agencies will get wind of it, then they’ll start head hunting and creating trouble within your team.


Communication Strategy 

Successful acquisitions rely on communication. People will want to know very early on what the deal means for them. Before the deal has been done, you should prepare clear content that will be published on your website and social media and distributed internally and externally. This information will be consumed by clients, partners and employees alike. Everyone will want to know ‘what’s in it for them’ so, while revealing your vision, ensure people understand how it affects them. Staff will want to know if their jobs are safe. Customers must be told if anything is changing or if they have to do anything. Suppliers should be assured their contracts are being honoured and payments will be made. Clear and consistent messaging is essential.


Build A New Team

If possible, appoint a team of representatives to consult with about planned changes. Ensure there’s lots of communication with employees, make sure questions are answered and also that social events and meetups are arranged to help foster new bonds – even if they have to be online. Where possible, allow business as usual for everyone else so that productivity does not fall. Try to ensure that employee reviews are up to date, as staff will not want to feel their own career progression is on hold. Also, listen to staff and undertake employee surveys to identify which managers have high levels of loyalty. Employees often feel a great sense of loyalty and attachment to their managers and so it’s very important to identify these people and generally keep them onside.


Dive Into The Data

One of the big goals of an acquisition is to create a single source of customer information. For many businesses, the danger is that so much customer information is inside the heads of employees. This danger rises enormously in the case of an acquisition. When some employees inevitably leave, they may end up leaving with your client list. So start creating a master  customer relationship management (CRM) system. The end result should be a single platform where you’ve integrated your newly acquired data with your existing systems. It is key to not only know who your clients are, but also to find out what is known about them. Transaction histories are very important, but also try to find out specifics about each customer. Aim to really understand why people are buying and what will make them buy again.  


Upsell

Once you’ve got a single source of contacts then you’re ready to start upselling and reaching out to your new customers with better offers – this is how you can obtain real value from your acquisition. It’s important customers still feel they are obtaining something that is greater than, or of equal value to, what they bought initially. Purchases come from trust, which is created through strong company brands and relationships between individuals. Solid marketing that ensures your brand is perceived well is key and this should be achievable if you’ve got real insight into your customers.


Create Your Vision

As you begin to integrate the two businesses, you’ll need to start spelling out your vision of the future to all concerned. Successful M&A find efficiencies and economies of scale, but these only occur once the human side of things – staff and customers – are taken care of. I’ve seen acquisitions go well and also very badly. Integration takes time, but you need to get moving right from day one.

Categories: M&A


You Might Also Like
Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Commercial Disputes: The Pros and Cons of Arbitration
Legal
17/07/2024Commercial Disputes: The Pros and Cons of Arbitration

Litigation – that is, formally dealing with a dispute through the parties’ domestic courts – has long been the go-to solution when commercial disputes arise, but this form of dispute resolution has been regarded as lengthy, costly, and does little to pre

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
The Rise of Entry Screening Solutions To Enhance Safety And Security
News
03/07/2023The Rise of Entry Screening Solutions To Enhance Safety And Security

In an increasingly complex world where safety and security are paramount concerns, entry screening solutions have emerged as crucial tools to protect public spaces. These innovative solutions provide a comprehensive approach to identifying potential threats an

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Intellectual Property: Protecting and Realising the Value of Intangible Assets
Leadership
07/12/2015Intellectual Property: Protecting and Realising the Value of Intangible Assets

M. Uzcátegui & Asociados is a professional company founded by Dr. Mariano Uzcátegui Urdaneta and Dr. Rafael Pizani in 1955 under the name of Escritorio Pizani. Leonardo E. Uzcategui L. talks us through the firm and their work.

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Leading the way for Legal Excellence
Legal
13/11/2017Leading the way for Legal Excellence

Leading the way for Legal Excellence

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
AMF’s Acquisition of Ownership in Property Portfolio in Helsinki
M&A
03/06/2015AMF’s Acquisition of Ownership in Property Portfolio in Helsinki

AMF's Acquisition of Ownership in Property Portfolio in Helsinki

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Within The Financial Space, What Is A Security?
Finance
14/01/2019Within The Financial Space, What Is A Security?

Whilst many have heard the term security before, equally many do not understand its implications as a noun. Within the financial space, a security is, put simply, a certificate or form of declaration which indicates that something is tradable, and therefore ha

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
How to Showcase Expertise to Grow Your Visibility Online
News
17/05/2023How to Showcase Expertise to Grow Your Visibility Online

In 2023, it’s not possible to operate a successful business and not have an online presence. But today, search engines are looking for more than just a website that you update every now and then. Google expects businesses to showcase their expertise and buil

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Business Beyond the Bottom Line: A New Era of Enterprise
News
12/08/2024Business Beyond the Bottom Line: A New Era of Enterprise

Business Beyond the Bottom Line: A New Era of Enterprise Picture credit A paradigm shift is underway in the rapidly evolving landscape of modern business. Companies are increasingly recognizing that success is not solely defined by financial metrics but by a b

Read Full PostRead - Eye Icon
Fourth Quarter Update: A 2015 Year End Round-Up
Finance
26/02/2016Fourth Quarter Update: A 2015 Year End Round-Up

Founded in 1982, Global Prior Art is an established leader which is widely known by its trademark “The Most Trusted Name in IP Research.”



Our Trusted Brands

Acquisition International is a flagship brand of AI Global Media. AI Global Media is a B2B enterprise and are committed to creating engaging content allowing businesses to market their services to a larger global audience. We have 14 unique brands, each of which serves a specific industry or region. Each brand covers the latest news in its sector and publishes a digital magazine and newsletter which is read by a global audience.

Arrow