Three Ways To Engage With Your Customers
Customers, regardless of industry or geography, are the lifeblood of business. They pay your bills and often refer you to others who will do the same. And just like you, they have been enduring a pandemic for the past year which has disrupted their sales cycles and budgets. It’s arguably never been more important to treat your customers well. So, do you know how they really view you and the value you bring? If not, it’s time to ask them in a meaningful way that will help reveal new challenges or opportunities that might not be obvious.
Skip the survey. Have a conversation. Some surveys are fine, and even fun, to take. But many of us, me included, have been guilty of sending a client a monstrous, 50-question survey that seeks to find out “how are we doing” as a vendor / partner. Responses were often incomplete, felt rushed and rarely revealed any insights. Instead, have an actual conversation about the things that matter most. You’ll be able to glean greater insights and get concrete examples that allow you to see just how valuable or indifferent the partnership is for your client. You can also walk away with agreement and buy-in on areas that would bolster the relationship, diversify your work together and potentially be new revenue streams.
Ask better questions. Okay, so you’re going to have a substantive conversation with your busy client. Make it count. Prepare your questions in advance so you can ensure a quality discussion. Make sure you use open-ended questions that begin with “why,” “how,” and “what if?” Closed-ended questions allow the person to respond with a single-word answer, likely “yes” or “no.” That doesn’t allow for digging into potential roadblocks or opportunities. Here’s a great article on the surprising power of good questions. Give it a read and put some of these practices to use.
Commit random acts of kindness. Customers are typically wonderful referral sources, provided you do great work, so reciprocate by helping them in areas that are beneficial. When is the last time you sent an article, an idea or brokered an introduction to a client that had nothing to do with the scope of work, but rather something that would be helpful or interesting to your customer? If you have to strain to remember, it’s too long.
Many of your best customers have stuck with you during the past year for a reason. It’s time to find out why if you don’t already know. It will only help you refine your strategy, uncover new opportunities and course correct areas that have gone astray.
If you need help gleaning customer insights and devising strategies to address new challenges through communications, we’re happy to chat.