If there’s one thing that every single company out there should know, it’s that the key to a happy business, is the happy customers that follow it. So make no mistake, although we have said happy customers, we don’t mean the minority, we mean the majority. The sooner you start trying to teach every single of them as though they’re individuals, and catering to their needs as you would an individual, the sooner you’re going to get them right where you want them to be. Because everything you’re not doing to keep them happy, your competitors are. It’s a tough world to make it in business, and there are certain niches that just seem to be struggling to make it through. Think banking, marketing, clothing etc. There’s just so many of them around, it’s so hard to stand out from the crowd when everyone else in the same niche is trying to do the same. So, we want to try and show you ways that you can keep your customers utterly happy, and your business even happier. Have a read on to find out more!
Happy Negotiations
When it comes to customers, you’re always going to have to negotiate in some way. Does that negotiation ever go in the favour that isn’t your business, of course it is. Do we mean that negotiations are always with regards to sales? No, we don’t, because the majority of you will just be selling products at face value. Think of the popular clothing website, ASOS. People can’t just go onto there, see a price of an item of clothing, and expect to item to be reduced just for them, so only they can have it cheaper. If the world of business worked that way, there wouldn’t be a world of business at all. But, in some areas of life, negotiations are going to happen, and if you want to succeed, the customer is always going to have to come out on top. Let’s talk about two main areas, banking and law. Negotiations are rife here, and the more you negotiate with customers, the more you realise what they want. More money, and a way out. With banking, so many customers come through the doors with problems, and looking for bank products. Software such as Ultimatetax can convert data from other software that will analyse information, aiding the process of a tax return. The return can take weeks to process, so as a negotiation, you could give them a percentage of the return in advance, with the rest to follow when the return comes in. The sooner they get the money, the happier they’ll be. Word spreads of the tactic you’re using, and your customer base grows. Because the more people think you’re willing to do for them, the more they’ll come back!
Happy Sales
If you are in a business where you’re making sales, then keeping your customers happy is going to be a challenge that you have suffered with since the very beginning. You not only have to battle with your customers satisfaction, you also have to deal with the fact that your competitors are trying to beat your sales pitch, the price you’re offering, and anything else that’s involved with the sale of your products. When you have two forces coming at you, it can be hard to keep your customers happy. So, the first top tip we have for you is market research. Half of the reason why your customers aren’t happy with you, is because you aren’t offering them what they want. Whether it be the products you sell, how you sell them, or the prices you’re selling them for, there’s always going to be something more that you can do. The second top tip we have, is to make sure you’re always watching the moves of your competitors, as they will be watching the moves of you. You don’t have to copy them, in fact, don’t ever copy them. But, what you can do is devise a way to better them by doing everything differently to what they’re doing. Make your products longer lasting, more appealing, slightly cheaper etc. Even if it takes you years to figure out how to do so and still make a profit, we highly recommend that you do something like this!
Happy Feedback
You like to talk, we like to talk, but no one loves to talk more than your customers do. All you have to do is step out of line just one little bit, and you best believe that they’re going to be coming for you, whether you like it or not. Not through the ways of talking directly to you, but talking to forums, leaving reviews on your website or with Google, or spreading a bad word through social media. Social media in particular is what you need to watch out for. Everyone is on it, and people love to talk when they’ve had a bad experience with a company. When that bad experience comes from you, and a few retweets happen, your business could so easily get a bad name that is hard to come back from. So, focus on happy feedback, and making sure that you get it. A lot of it will come from going the extra mile for your customers! One way to ensure you’re always working to make sure feedback is good, is having a customer feedback section on your website that goes directly to you. You can focus your efforts on solving the problem before it goes public, and all potential issues will melt away!
Happy Service
We thought we would save the most important until last, because it’s so painfully obvious what needs to be done here. If you want to keep your customers happy, you’re going to have to focus on the customer service you’re giving them. That doesn’t mean asking them how their day was, it means showing them that you actually care about them. Offering them personalised discounts for being a customer, giving them something for free as they check out, checking in with them a few days later to make sure the product is ok and they’re satisfied. It’s all areas that plenty of companies miss out on, when they really shouldn’t be!