One of the most important goals of business owners and managers is customers. Maintain existing customers through effective engagement strategies. Responding to the needs of clients can help you build strong relationships, keep buyers happy and ultimately generate new business.
Strong customer relationships are much like any other relationship. You need to invest your time to build and nurture them over a period.
Businesses that perceive the importance of building customer relationships develop an emotional connection towards them and retain with them for a long time.
Customer engagement is the process of interacting with a company’s audience via various channels and enhancing the relationship with them. Customer engagement begins with the first interaction and as it continues after they purchased a product purchase.
The Importance of Building Customer Relationships
The long-term success of your organisation depends on the bond build with customers over time.
Today’s customers are constantly evaluating the relationship they have with the brands in their lives, and a few missteps could cause your company to get dumped.
There are three primary benefits of building and maintaining strong customer relationships:
Reduces Churn
We get it, obtaining a new customer is exciting. However, if you don’t have a retention strategy, customer acquisition is wasteful and expensive.
Boosts Customer Lifetime Value
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) refers to the total revenue a business can expect from a customer over the course of a business relationship. Your CLV can be improved through customer satisfaction (and retention.)
Satisfied customers have a healthier relationship with your business, causing them to make more (and larger) purchases in the future.
Developer Brand Advocates
Brand advocacy happens when your customers become your biggest cheerleaders. What this means is that your customers will organically support your business and rave about your brand to any and everyone who is willing to listen (hello word-of-mouth marketing).
How to build client relationships that last
In the following list, you will find actionable ways to improve client satisfaction and build mutually-beneficial partnerships.
1. Understand what your customers value
To find out what your customers value, always listen to what they say and how they say it then adjust your approach to match their expectations.
Do your best to keep listening!
2. Personalize customer relationships
Keep your customers happy and satisfied.
Personalisation increases loyalty, drives higher conversions, and ultimately increases revenue. It is understandable that the path to the personalisation for some companies is challenging and as a result, marketers have created segmentation strategies rather than building a truly personalised experience.
3. Respond to concerns.
Do not just be available when your business is doing well or your customers are satisfied. Earn the customers trust and respect.
4. Seek Feedback and Show you Genuinely Care
Customer feedback is important to your ongoing success because you get to hear directly from your customers about what is and is not working. Any of their recommendations must be implemented.
After recording feedback, set up meetings with employees to find out how you can improve. A team that openly discusses ways to enhance products will prevent issues in the future once recommendations are implemented.
5. Collect and use data
Companies wanting to engage customers should collect data about their concerns and desires regularly. Use resources such as surveys and questionnaires to collect information that can help your business improve and develop effective strategies.
6. Keep the conversation going.
Part of what it means to have an “always on” approach to marketing is that you are in constant dialogue with customers. To do this well it requires frequent innovation. It also means staying relevant and responsive to customer issues as they arise. Highly responsive companies are quick to nip service problems in the bud through tactful communications—heading off public relations blunders that can quickly go viral from well-connected customers.
7. Have an onboarding process
This is one of our customer retention strategies as well. A streamlined onboarding process will set the stage for the clear communication and seamless execution needed for a strong and long-lasting client relationship to form. During this process, you may want to:
- Mail them a welcome kit: Send along some branded swag, a greeting card, and additional goodies based on the more personal information you’ve collected.
- Take care of housekeeping: Make sure each of you has the access needed for tools, accounts, and dashboards.
- Have a kickoff meeting: This is to ensure everything is lined up for perfect execution. You’ve also become pretty familiar with one another at this point. This is a good time to have a more informal atmosphere.
8. Instill customer service etiquette
62% of consumers worldwide mentioned they have stopped doing business with a brand after a poor customer service experience. This makes integration of customer service etiquette crucial in every facet of your business as delivering superior service is the best way to strengthen customer relationships.
Some key customer service etiquette that you can follow are:
- Use positive words and phrases
- Practice active listening
- Offer gratitude
- Show empathy
9. Remember that relationships are built over time
Palin says that while it is important to go above and beyond, “You don’t need to hit a home run with every conversation.” He notes that some companies use customer relationship management (CRM) software to help manage their relationships over time. While these can be helpful, especially in larger businesses with formal customer relationship programs, they are not necessary to deliver exceptional customer experiences.
10. Follow up.
Following up is an easy way to earn customers’ appreciation. No one likes to file a complaint or ask a question, only to hear radio silence. Respond to customers throughout their buying journey so they build a connection with you.
If an existing customer purchases a new or unique product, follow up with them to make sure they enjoyed it. Thank customers for doing business with you. Everyone likes to feel acknowledged. Follow-up is also a great way to identify unhappy customers before their unsatisfactory experience ends with a negative review online.
11. Reward Loyalty
Develop a loyalty program for your best customers and offer them free gifts, samples, or points toward rewards.
You can also offer them special deals, discounts, or early access to new items. Once outsiders hear about these offers, they also want to get in on the action. Think of these incentives as an investment to retain customers. Be creative and remember to give them what they will appreciate.
12. Re-engage customers
Identify and get in touch with previous customers who have not engaged with or purchased from your company recently. Ask feedback regarding to your service.
They might appreciate your gesture and feel valued by your company. Approaching inactive customers via re-engagement emails or texts can revive the relationship and encourage them to buy your products or services.
Final thoughts
Building customer relationships is a critical business objective across the globe. If you want to improve brand engagement, give reasons to your customers to emotionally connect with you.
Practically you have to go beyond CRM and adopt techniques to build and maintain good customer relationships. And when you already done applying what is necessary, it will help solidify your relations with customers and create a strong foundation that will help you grow your business to new levels.
David Alssema is a Body Language Expert and Motivational Speaker. As a performer in the personal development industry in Australia he has introduced and created new ways to inspire, motivate and develop individuals.
David Alssema started his training career with companies such as Telstra and Optus Communications, and then developed Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) within workplace training as principal of Paramount Training & Development.
As an author/media consultant on body language and professional development David has influenced workplaces across Australia. He contributes to Media such as The West Australian, ABC Radio, Australian Magazines and other Australia Media Sources.
