We all know how important our customers are to our businesses. Without them, we would not be able to operate, market our goods, and most importantly, succeed. For this reason, creating and maintaining customer relationships and trust will allow your business to flourish.
If you are looking to improve customer relations, look no further! Here is a list of helpful tips and strategies that have proven to help companies build better personal connections with customers.
1. Respond to concerns
Believe it or not, responding to feedback may be more important than you think. 41% of Americans consider reviews as one of the driving factors to pursue local businesses. In other words, companies who take the time to get back to the questions and concerns of their customers are more likely to drive new business.
Answering customer questions shows that you are attentive and care about their opinions and suggestions. Social media platforms give clients a look inside your business when they research reviews on your Google Business Profile.
2. Listen to your customers
While this feels like a no-brainer, it's essential to keep it in mind during business affairs. Whether a customer has a problem with an order or requests a refund for a product that did not impress in quality, intently listening will make the customer feel heard. Engage your customers to jumpstart new business sales.
Providing a satisfying solution to a customer inquiry will increase the chance of that customer to return, and even spread positive word of mouth. There are tons of ways that you can manage customer issues, including hiring virtual assistants to answer phone calls or developing customer loyalty programs.
3. Be casual but professional
Enacting a conversational tone when speaking with customers will help create a personal bond. When customers feel comfortable and happy with the service that they are receiving, they will likely return to your business.
Use personal language when having a conversation with customers. For example, instead of asking “How are you?”, ask “How is your day going? Are you enjoying this beautiful weather?” You can even share personal details about yourself to add more of a personal touch to their business experience.
4. Follow up quickly
When it comes to business, timeliness is everything. Harvard Business Review recently discovered that when B2C and B2B U.S. firms tried to contact a potential client within an hour of receiving an inquiry, they were seven times as likely to qualify the lead as those who contacted a customer after an hour. On the other hand, these businesses were 60 times more likely to qualify for the lead than companies that waited to contact 24 hours or longer.
These findings show that if you do not follow up immediately, you are missing out on new customers and their business. You should also follow up with customers who recently purchased from you to ensure their satisfaction.
As business owners and customers alike, we buy from and contribute to many different companies that offer various products and services. Regardless of what industry or business operation that is at hand, customer connection is vital to business success. For more information on how to improve customer relationships, see the infographic provided by Smith.ai below.
