A new book offers six practical ways to make a lasting impact on customers and earn their loyalty

Let me share a painful lesson that I, Anand Prakash, learnt early in my career.

I was working at Sterling Copper, hitting my targets, closing deals like a champion-but something strange was happening. My sales would spike for a month, then plummet the next. It was like riding a roller coaster blindfolded.

One day, my mentor pulled me aside and asked, “Anand, when was the last time you called a customer after selling to them?”

I stared blankly. “Why would I call them?” All the sales formalities are over.

He laughed, not unkindly. “That’s why you’re struggling. You’re treating customers like one-night stands instead of marriages.”

Crude? Perhaps. But it was the wake-up call I needed.

In this industry, a transaction isn’t just an exchange of goods or services. It’s the beginning of a re