As we develop our business, we hear more about the power of partnerships and working relationships than anything else. But this is not just in terms of the inner workings of the company; it extends outwards too. Building a great relationship with the customer is a fine art, that can make or break your business, not just in the here and now, but it also provides a template to follow for years to come. Building a great relationship with the customer is one of the most crucial components, but how can we do this effectively? Is it about one major thing? Well, technically, it is: consistency, but how can we achieve this?
A Consistent Business Brand Across Your Platforms
From your website design to your social media communications, as well as your blogs, and how your employees liaise with a customer in person, these are all things that expand your business brand. Making it consistent across every platform means that every customer is experiencing what the business is all about despite the medium. It’s not an easy thing to achieve, but if you go back to your business plan, and set certain ground rules that help to mold your identity, which can then be cascaded to employees, repurposed into marketing materials, and so forth, can help the business go much further, and create that consistent business brand.
The Simple Tools That Can Maintain A Relationship
It isn’t just about the human touch, but you have got to ensure that you have a consistent undercurrent in the back office. This is why many people use CRM systems. A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system is an invaluable tool that many businesses use now. It gives, not just a way for employees to have easy access to customer information, but it’s a file on a customer. This means that personalizing their experience has never been easier. Every customer wants to feel special, but we tend to avoid this, especially if we’re going to say anything to get a sale. But those repeat customers, or getting those people to come back, is all about a sound filing system.
Make Promises You Can Keep
As we can focus on the more wide-ranging components, bring our website up to speed, have the right tech, as well as focus on the brand, that relationship with the customer is down to consistency, but ensuring that we can deliver what we promise. Consistency isn’t just about our marketing frontline, but we’ve also got to work with a customer to give them what they want. It’s all about the experience, and we can spend so long being focused on sales, as well as pretty much telling the customer anything to shift a product. We don’t want to be the fickle person in this partnership. But if we can deliver what we promise, this helps to reinforce that human bond, which can cause a customer to return.
When we build a great relationship with a customer, we could potentially have them for life, so when we think about this in terms of sales, it’s a lot less effort for the down the line. But we have to put in the groundwork right away.
