People.
This is what you need for your business to succeed. With one perfect customer management you will be able to guarantee safe sales. No matter whether you sell products or services, you will always need to build lasting connections.
Without customers, no business can thrive.
But I have to tell you a secret: your most important asset is not new customers, who are still essential.
Well yes, retain current customers it is much more convenient than setting up expensive marketing activities to continuously attract new ones, with a waste of money and energy.
Do you know why? With them you have a bond has already been established.
You want to optimize resources and maximize revenues, right? Then you are in the right place. In this article I will explain how to set a perfect customer management to build relationships and bring more profit to your business.
Let’s go!
What does customer management mean?
You did it great job with the marketing activity and many customers are interested in purchasing your product or service.
You might be led to think: “Fantastic, the bulk of the work is done!”
But no, this is precisely where we see the true entrepreneur.
When others think that the road is all downhill, the true professional begins work hard.
Do you know why? If you want your business to succeed, you can’t woo the customer just the first time and then forget about him.
This is where customer management comes into play.
It’s about how to build customer loyaltycreate a detail relationship of trust with those who have purchased a product or service from your company.
It is not something that is resolved with the closing of the sale, but it is a bond that is built and it consolidates over time.
Why would you commit so many resources and energy to building this relationship? I’ll explain it to you right away.
Why is it important to build a relationship with the customer?
They exist two reasons on the basis of which it is more advantageous for you to work on retaining existing customers rather than focusing on attracting new ones.
Pictures already?
The first: if a customer was happy with your brand, they will most likely decide to buy from you again or, at the very least, will recommend your products or services to friends and relatives.
Furthermore, customers are loyal to a brand willing to pay up to 25% more for the same purchase as someone who has never heard of your company.
The second reason is that loyal customers can help you increase revenue. Harvard Business School has proven that customer loyalty can bring you a increase in turnover from 25% up to 95%.
But it doesn’t end here! He also stated that acquiring a new contact can cost you 5 to 10 times more compared to what you would spend for managing the existing customer.
Now that you have understood how important it is to maintain the relationship with the customer, the next question arises spontaneously.
How is it done? It’s easy to say!
How to manage the customer by creating a lasting and profitable relationship
The relationship between customers and the brand is mainly based on communication.
The more you are able to communicate well and consistently, the more customers will feel encouraged to come into contact with your company.
Communication develops on multiple channelsboth online and offline. Here’s what they are strategies for perfect management of customer relationships.
1. Every customer deserves individual treatment
Each of us likes it feel special.
The customer is not an entity to be considered only from the point of view of profit but it is, first of all, one person.
As an individual he has gods feelingsexpectations and needs. If you want to develop a relationship with him, you need to show him that this is important to you too.
Now I will reveal some winning sales techniques closely linked to the management of your customer.
First of all, Call your customers by name. We are all linked to our name, it is what identifies us. Those who hear themselves called by their name are more attentive to what the interlocutor says and, consequently, more inclined to carry out an action.
This is the first step in developing relationships with customers.
Secondly,
interested sincerely to their lives. Don’t just focus on what you intend to sell, but seriously consider how you can be truly useful to the person in front of you. She will feel much more appreciated and even if she might not buy from you this time, she will certainly remember you the next time.
2. Be positive
How many times does it happen that you have personal problems on your mind, that you are in a bad mood because of an episode that happened during the day or that you are faced with a customer who is making us nervous?
Too many times.
But you are doing a job and you need to do it to the best of your ability. Even if at that moment you would like to do something else or if you are convinced that the person you are talking to will never buy anything, try to maintain a positive attitude.
Even the most stubborn customers can soften if they find one friendly personsmiling and instilling positivity.
Remember, your attitude makes the difference!
3. Value time
Your customers’ time, just like yours, is extremely important. Nobody likes wasting hours and hours before being heard.
For this reason, one of the areas you need to focus on for optimal customer management is time.
Find alternative communication channels, speed up the conversationprovide answers as quickly as possible and always inform about waiting times. People become more understanding if they feel taken into consideration and treated sincerely.
4. Manage negative feedback
Sometimes you just can’t help it. You get that customer who is living their day in a way particularly negative and that at that moment he is taking it out on you.
How do you deal with these situations?
Whether the customer gives you a hostile comment during the conversation or leaves you negative feedback afterward, you have to turn the situation in your favor.
Don’t let everything decay thinking that he’s in the wrong, but dig deeper. Ask questions to understand what part of the customer experience went wrong. Listen to your customer to understand what they were not satisfied with and what advice they would give to improve the service.
If you get some constructive responsesyou can use them to introduce improvements in the company. As well as for good management of relationships with customers.
5. Exceed customer expectations
The moment you do something promises to your customers, you absolutely must respect them. If you don’t do this, they will feel cheated and will never come back to buy from you again.
Be honest about what you can do for each of them and make them understand that you are putting all your effort and consideration into meeting their needs.
Always try to get a better result than what people expect from you or, at least, always maintain consistency between what you say and what you do.
6. Create loyalty programs
You managed a great sale with a new customer acquired. Now what happens? Do you forget about him? Absolutely not!
This is where the best phase of customer management comes. There loyalty.
How do you incentivize a customer to return? Offer discounts on subsequent purchases, create a loyalty carda points program with final prizes or a subscription.
If you think about it, that’s exactly what the major marketplaces, supermarkets or large chains do.
7. Maintain constant contact with the customer
Do you want to build a relationship with the customer? Don’t wait for him to take the first step.
You are in charge of the brand and it is your duty, as well as your interest, maintain active relationships with customers.
How to do it? Easy!
Send some personalized emailspaper invitations, share their messages on social media and give some small gifts every now and then.
This will allow customers to never forget about you and your brand.
Conclusion
At this point you have all the tools to implement perfect customer management.
Your business cannot exist without customers who buy the products or services you sell. Therefore take matters into your own hands now giving importance to people, listening to them and making them feel unique.