Valerie Khoo wrote an interesting article last week regarding keeping your customer conversations going. Her article made me think about why once some small business owners gain a customer they do not always nurture the relationship long term.
Apart from the usual reasons such as time, could it be that there are so many ways in marketing to communicate with your customers that it all gets too overwhelming or is it because you do not know your customers well enough?
If you were to describe your closest personal relationships, I bet you could go into detail about their likes, dislikes, what makes them happy, what are their problems etc. You would also know what they like to discuss with you, the depth of the discussion and the frequency of these conversations.
Customers in a way are no different and the small businesses that enjoy long term relationships know a great deal about their customers and put effort into strengthening the relationship.
If you gain a better understanding of how your customers think, feel and behave and the type of information or conversations they want to have with you then deciding on the communication method whether it is by phone, email, blog etc is a lot easier and will be more effective.
Ways to gain a better understanding of your customers include:
- Asking questions in the lead up and at the time of the sale
- Follow up after they have used your product or service
- Make a list of what you know and do not know about your customers and at each meeting or with each communication find out the answers
- Conduct a survey with your customers and ask for feedback and their opinions
Healthy customer relationships take time and effort, but the benefits for your business, the relationship and marketing efforts can be immense.
