Last week, we posted a blog detailing the importance of brand storytelling. The blog wasn’t just covering the fact that our Bloggers & Creative Writers For Hire have added Creative Writing Services to their list of offerings. The blog post highlighted the need for business owners to be able to distinguish their brands from all of their competitors. In addition to posting your brand story on your website, the way to differentiate your business from others comes by way of the relationships you develop with your customers.
The bottom line is that it’s important to be customer-focused! Consumers know that they have options. And the businesses that put efforts into making customers feel special are the ones that continually grow their customer bases. How focused are you in placing your customers first? If you’re looking to grow your customer base, you’ll need to follow a few important steps.
Here are five:
1. Discover what makes your customers tick.
This will involve the simple task of asking some probing questions. Sometimes, being as blunt as asking “What can we do to better suit your needs?” will provide you with the clearest path to understanding your customers better. Collect data through methods such as online surveys and social media comments to ensure that you are offering your customer base both the products and customer service that truly makes them happy.
2. Be accessible.
We’ve mentioned, in many blogs of past, the importance of being accessible to your customers. Remember that we live in a world where people get things quickly. Anyone can Google information and receive what they’re looking for within seconds. Are they able to get a hold of you just as easily? It certainly helps to both maintain and grow your customer base if you’re someone who both answers phone calls and returns messages expeditiously.
3. Stick to your word.
There are few things worse than being lied to. And this counts double for customers. If you make a promise, keep it! Customers aren’t always quick to forgive when they feel that they’ve been mislead. Meet your deadlines, stay true to your pricing and show up at your appointments and meetings. Breaking promises is a guaranteed way to damage your company’s reputation.
4. Be appreciative.
The words “thank you” go a long way. To reiterate an earlier-made point, all consumers know that they have options. So when they choose a company, and that company expresses their gratitude, it makes customers feel that they’ve made the right choice. It’s such a simple gesture to say “thank you”. But taking things a step further by offering random freebies or even acknowledging customers publicly via social media will help you to develop a very loyal fan base.
5. Offer your customers rewards.
As we just mentioned, it certainly can’t hurt when you take things a step further in the “thank you” department. Provide exclusive discounts, host in-store events, run contests and create a referral program – these are all ways to show your customers that supporting your business means regular benefits for them. Giving something back to your clients is a great way to encourage them to keep coming back to you!
At MeloTel, we do the best we can to be a customer-focused company. For proof, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 1-888-MELOTEL or use the Live Chat feature on our website. Be sure to ask us how you can save money by making the switch to our cloud-hosted Commercial Phone Services and how the Single Number Reach feature can help you to never miss another important call!
