There are two parts to producing ongoing sales for your product. You first need to attract customers and get them to try out your product. And if they try it and like it, you get repeat sales. The second part of the eqation depends entirely on how good the product and customer-service is. The first depends on how you market it.

Most companies are familiar with the mechanics of attracting people to their brand - advertising, raising brand-awareness, trying to get word-of-mouth recommendations, viral-marketing. Yet few think beyond this and use general events to draw people to their product.

Customers tend to be very loyal to products they've used and like. People are more likely to change their partner than change their current account. But occasionally you get events which impel people to try out new products without being pushed.

One such was the de-mutualisation of building societies in the UK ten years ago. I was one of those who opened accounts with dozens of building societies in the hope of getting a windfall when they de-mutualised and floated on the stock market. Most building societies reacted with horror at this. But they should have seen this as a stupendous opportunity to develop relationships with a new set of "windfall" customers.

At the time I opened all those accounts, I had banked with one company since I was eighteen, and had faithfully bought all their products: I didn't just have a current account with them, I had my mortgage and savings with them too. In addition I was used to the way they did things. Opening accounts with other organisations opened my eyes. There were different products on offer, with different benefits. Some of them were hopeless, and I closed the account as soon as they de-mutualised or ruled out de-mutualisation. Others were wonderful and I established new relationships with them that endure to this day. But none of the organisations actively courted me or nurtured this process. It was accidental as to whether I continued my relationship with them or not.

Another event that propelled customers to seek new suppliers was the Iraq war, and in particular hostility to it in Europe. I was passinately against the war and was determined to boycott American products. I gave up Colgate toothpaste and tried Glaxo-Smith-Kline's Crest. I gave up Coke and tried Cadbury's Dr Pepper. I gave up using Fairy liquid and Ariel washing powder (made by the US giant Proctor and Gamble) and tried out Persil washing-up liquid

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