I was a little nervous as I walked through the doors of my Bank of America branch this morning. I was sure they could tell why I was there. I needed to close my two business accounts, and my downward-cast eyes were a tell-tale sign that I was hoping for a quick and impersonal transaction.

I quickly realized that would not be the case when I got to the teller, and he informed me that I would have to sign in over at the white clipboard and someone would be with me in a moment.

When I told the nice young associate of my intentions, she made a pouty, sad face and asked me why – and if something was wrong. I told her that I didn’t keep huge balances and was tired of paying monthly fees. (The other reason, which I did not share with her, was that I was very excited about using a community bank, with local ownership keeping my money churning in the local economy. I also like that they bring me cookies.)

She then told me that with minor adjustments to how I use the account, the fees could have been waived. Again, that is not the only reason I moved, but it sure could have saved me some money over the years.

Why didn’t I know that? They should have done a better job telling me about ways to use my accounts more efficiently. Are there ways for your customers to save money by making minor adjustments to how they interact with you?

I realize that you may lose a little income at first, but what a tiny investment that will prove to be when they stay with you for years and tell others about how well you treat them. We should always be more interested in relationships than squeezing a few extra cents from each customer.

And that you can bank on.

Dave Fiore is the founder and CEO of davemail.

While hanging out with my younger three children last night, I heard my 9-year-old son say something I have thought a million times but never had the courage to say out loud.

He was busy putting the final touches on a new Lego ship with his little brother, when his 7-year-old sister started telling him something apparently unrelated to the project at hand. Without even looking up or interrupting the process of snapping small plastic pieces together, he replied very matter-of-factly, “I have no idea what you are talking about, but I am going to act like I know exactly what you are talking about.”

Undeterred, she kept talking, he kept building and I chuckled inside.

While that is the kind of advice that should be standard in pre-marital counseling (the concept – not actually saying it), it is not great advice for business. Like not quite hearing what someone has said and replying with a smile and nod (a la Seinfeld’s low talker and agreeing to wear the puffy shirt), only pretending to understand your clients’ needs can be deadly.

It is much better and far less embarrassing to ask a client to clarify or even repeat their request than to grab the highlights of your conversation and run with it. This is especially true if you have performed a similar task for them before. Our clients care about the details – and so should we. Everyone understands an honest mistake, but it is much harder to explain the fact that you were simply not paying attention.

So don’t fake it. Make sure you know what your clients need and then go above and beyond – be proactive, suggest new ideas and do your best to blow them away with how well you understand their needs.

Oh, and that advice goes for personal relationships as well. You think clients get mad if you are not paying attention?

Dave Fiore is the founder and CEO of davemail.

Strengthening relationships with current customers is the easiest and most effective way to increase your sales. The old adage that it is five times more expensive to gain a new client than retain a current client may be difficult for you to quantify, but it is certainly true in principle.

It just makes sense. Is it harder to convince a new person that you are worthy of their trust or remind a former customer of the positive experience they had even years earlier? Not only are current customers more likely to come back for more, they also are your best sales reps. The longer a person has used your services or purchased your products, the greater their loyalty and motivation to tells others about you.

People like referring their friends to people they have done business with. It makes us feel good to share a great tree guy or IT specialist and for our friends to also have a positive experience with them. Everybody looks good, and that kind of networking can gain serious momentum – especially if it enters the digital realm.

So while advertising for new customers is always important, don’t forget to pay special attention to the group that holds the greatest potential of all – the people you already know, and more importantly, already know you.