What makes a customer fall in love with your company? In almost all cases, it’s not simply thanks to your great products or services; it’s also about your people. People buy from people. Great business relationships increase customer retention. According to a study by Fred Reichheld, a mere 5% increase in customer retention can produce more than 25% increased profits.
Picture this, your type of customer has many companies or vendors to choose from, selling similar products for competitive prices. The price will be the ultimate decider if a purchase is solely transactional. But it’s not.
Being a customer is an ongoing experience. By focusing on building lasting customer relationships, you will stand out from the crowd as a company caring for each of your customers.
In this article, we’ll share the five key principles specifically designed to empower CEOs to build great and long-lasting customer relationships.
How do you react when you get more than what you paid for? Everyone loves being positively surprised. In business, under promising and over delivering is a sure way to get repeat business. Let your customers know how happy you are that they chose you. When they have questions, go the extra mile, and make sure they feel valued, appreciated, and understood.
A great way to build customer relationships is to acknowledge significant events. Maybe you heard your prospective customer just had a baby. Send them a gift basket to show how happy you are for them. The same goes for birthdays or even holidays—details matter. Thoughtful gifts are a great way to be remembered.
The best feedback is constructive. But don’t wait for things to go wrong—be the first to ask your customer if they have any feedback or recommendations. That makes them feel appreciated and tells them you value their opinion.
Seek to understand customer feedback and complaints. Put yourself in their shoes. When you get feedback, don’t stop there. Work hard to form a new bridge and make any necessary changes a reality. If it’s an uncommon complaint, see what you can do to improve that relationship.
By constantly seeking out customer feedback, you take a proactive approach to guaranteeing your business is the best it can be. Establish processes to ensure your customers have voices heard—make changes in your products, services, or support, when needed.
Staying in touch with your customers is a key part of great relationship building. People know right away if you only contact them to upsell them on something. Instead, reach out as a friend and offer to help, maybe even with things outside of your industry.
Check in to see how your customer’s day is going and if you can do something to make it better. Again, details matter. Your gesture doesn’t have to be grand; a quick, personalized email or message on LinkedIn can work wonders for building strong relationships.
It also goes the other way around. When your customer wants to contact you, regardless of their matter, make sure they can reach you. Give them several ways to get in contact with you and keep your direct messages open.
You may have a great idea of what perfect customer service is, but the best way to make sure you are delivering the right service for your customers is by asking them. Learn and understand their common challenges, objections, and specific pain points. Learn more about what your competitors lack so you can outshine them.
Great customer service is extremely valuable. While many companies have hard-to-reach and problematic ways to get in touch, you have a great opportunity to outdo them. Be the perfect match by understanding your customer’s needs.
Being empathetic shows your customers that you care. It immediately warms your relationship and moves you to a brand with a heart. When talking to customers, use statements that tell them you understand and feel for their challenges. Ensure them you will do anything possible to deliver the best and most satisfactory solution.
Combine an empathic and warm approach with over-delivering on promises, and you have a sure way of forming long, lasting customer relationships.
From an internal perspective, every company’s products or services are the biggest, greatest, and most future proof. It’s the companies that form deep connections with their customers and improve buyers’ journeys that end up becoming the winners in an increasingly digital world.
Pivoting to a customer-first approach requires an organizational shift in mindset. Everyone must be on board, and it starts with you. As a leader, you must inspire and clarify why delivering a fantastic customer experience is key for business growth in a competitive market. See this article for leadership inspiration to get a head start.
Want to leverage technology to improve your customer experience and build long-lasting customer relationships? Contact us today.
Maybe you think your business is too small for an MSP, but nothing could be further from the truth. MSPs can help companies of all sizes with cloud computing, data storage and security, software and hardware maintenance and upgrades, and much more. Yes, even the smallest small businesses, including those with 50 or fewer users.
Leading an IT team is a tough, multi-faceted job, and no one understands that better than an MSP (managed services provider). An MSP is a tech partner that works with you to handle everyday IT tasks and can help you ensure that the changing nature of technology doesn’t leave your business behind.
Whether you’ve got 10 or 100 employees, a managed services provider can keep your IT on track and your business running smoothly. Even companies in the 250-300 user range, just toeing the line into enterprise-level tech solutions, can enjoy all the benefits of an MSP.
An IT generalist is a jack-of-all-trades. They’re by your side every day to manage your help desk, support your staff’s IT needs, deliver service and maintenance, and be network administrators who ensure everything is working as intended. On the other hand, an IT specialist works on more complex technology issues, such as projects and escalations. IT specialists also often take on the role of solutions architects.
Getting your outsourced IT services from an IT Services company seems like an obvious choice. You have someone you can call when things go sideways to help you get your technology back up and running. An MSP, or managed service provider, is a type of outsourced IT, but not all outsourced IT companies are MSPs. We’re going to break down the differences even further.
Between inflation, supply chain interruptions, and the looming possibility of yet another recession, it can be difficult for business leaders to chart the best course of action to keep themselves not just solvent, but thriving and growing in the face of such economic uncertainty. One way that businesses can make themselves more recession-proof is by having a solid IT structure in place, including software, hardware, security, data storage, and IT experts, to help everything run efficiently and effectively
Many businesses are turning to outside IT professionals to help them optimize their operations and keep their technology running smoothly and efficiently through strategic planning. A vCIO, or virtual Chief Information Officer, can be the key to streamlining IT functionality for your business.
There are outsourced IT services, and then there are MSPs—managed service providers. Managed service providers are outsourced IT companies, but not all outsourced IT companies are MSPs. Managed service providers are local businesses and, more importantly, local to your business.
Onboarding new staff members can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. While it symbolizes growth and new opportunities for your organization, it’s crucial to implement the necessary measures to guarantee a secure and seamless integration.
Since 2001, StepUP IT Services has been helping businesses in Eugene and throughout Oregon with their technology needs. We are your IT partner. We manage and maintain your technology, empowering your organization to reach its goals. Making you happy is what makes us happy.
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