How To Make Your Customers Adore You
Customers are the lifeblood of any successful business. Without them, you don't have a business at all. But, if you're able to maximize your customer service and woo them carefully (and with devotion), your business sales can skyrocket. Because, who doesn't love being romanced? Use these easy tips and make your customers love you so they keep coming back for more.
1. Tell the World They're Special
What do you do when you love someone? You want to tell the world how special that person is to you. So tell the world about your customers and how special they are to you by giving them some spotlight attention. Display glowing testimonials proudly on your website. Write a blog post and mention kind words a client told you. Write a case study or success story. Talk about how much your customer's life has changed since discovering your business. By putting your customers in the spotlight and telling the world about them, you create a win-win. You help their business get some free exposure to new clients, and you show your prospective customers that your business creates positive results. Take this tip one step further: Write a blog post about a recent project or sale. Talk about how much you enjoyed getting to know your customer and mention what you liked — friendly attitude, pleasant manners, or even a great smile. This definitely creates warm fuzzies for anyone!
2. Thank Them, and Mean It
Here's an easy way to bring a smile to anyone's face: Thank them for being customers in a way that shows you really appreciate having them. It takes mere seconds to send a customer a personal thank-you note for having trusted your business to provide them with what they want. Send a quick e-mail a week or two after the purchase, or even better, mail them an old-fashioned handwritten note. People love getting these — really. Double-whammy your thank you note by giving a little gift. Tuck a coupon into the envelope or offer your customers a five-percent discount on their next purchase.
3. Remember Them, So They Remember You
Out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes — which means that dropping contact with your customers can result in them forgetting your business exists. Or worse, showing that you don't care. That's why staying in touch with customers over the months or even years can help retain their patronage for a long time to come. They never forget you — and they might even think fondly of you. Don't just stay in touch; get personal about it. Take note of details that your customers share with you either while making a purchase or in conversation. Note their birth dates. Mark down the name of their pets. Jot down that your client had a big golf tournament coming up. Then use that information to show you were paying attention to your customers. Mention Rover in an e-mail. Mail a birthday card. Ask how the tournament turned out on your next call. Your clients will love you for it.
4. Treat Them with Responsive Respect
There's nothing worse than being put on hold and hearing a tinny recording say, "Your call is important to us." (It's even worse if you have to wait 20 minutes for a live person to actually back that up.) So when customers get in touch with you — no matter who they are, no matter why they're contacting you — respect them, and respond to them. This is so easy to do, and responding to people in a personal way is actually so rare in the world of business that it pleasantly surprises people when it happens. Doing so can build huge loyalty and fond thoughts in the minds of your customers so they remember you for a long, long time. Making time for your customers and ensuring they feel appreciated and loved is the best way to ensure they'll come back and refer you to others. Want more? We put together this list of 24 simple ways to thrill your customers.
So, tell us - how do you make sure your customers adore you?
*This article was excerpted from one I wrote for American Express OPEN Forum called 'How to Make Your Customers Feel Warm & Fuzzy'.*