Knowhow: Customer Courtesy | Advice for making sure you stay connected to your clients
Many business failures can be traced simply to the way companies communicate — or fail to communicate effectively — with their customers.
While most successful business owners recognize the importance of avoiding the common communication gaffes, it’s important to keep them in mind as you review your business practices to ensure you’re among the group of successful entrepreneurs whose companies prosper.
Know Your Customers
No matter how well you think you know your customer, it’s dangerous to assume you always know what they need or want. Many business decisions are based on a gut instinct of what a business owner believes customers want, not necessarily because they’ve asked them directly. Don’t be afraid to ask existing customers as well as former and potential customers to ensure their concerns and expectations align with the value you provide.
You must always remember that customers buy benefits, not features. Features simply support the value you provide, so in communicating with prospects, think about what matters most to them and focus your written and oral presentations on addressing that value. This doesn’t stop after your first meeting. You must continually educate customers about the value they receive. Even if you believe it’s obvious; don’t assume your prospective customers “get it.”
Follow Through
Studies show it can cost up to five times the amount of money to bring in new customers as it costs to retain good ones.
Make sure your communication is not just pre-sale, but that it continues after you’ve gained their trust as customers. Unless you don’t care about repeat business or referrals, make sure you follow up with customers after they’ve made a purchase.
Customers don’t expect perfection, but they do expect courtesy and empathy from you when things go well and especially when things go awry.
Means And Methods
You only get one chance to make a first impression; make sure it’s the one you want to make. If that first interaction is through a phone call or perhaps a visit to your web site, make sure it’s memorable and provides the visitor with a strong sense of who you are and why they should want to continue a dialogue and business relationship with you.
Sometimes e-mail is an acceptable and even the preferred method of communication, but there are certain situations that require a more personal touch, such as a phone call or in-person appointment. Make sure you understand how your customers want to communicate with you and follow through in that manner.
And remember that customers do not live in an isolated world. Recognize how external factors might impact their decisions and their ability and interest in conducting business with you.
If you recognize these and show them that you’re interested in working out terms that meet both their needs and illustrate flexibility and compassion, you plant the seed of a loyal and long-term business affiliation.
Beth Goldstien is president of Marketing Edge Consulting Group in Holliston. She can be reached at beth@m-edge.com.
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