The Answer Is Customers: What Are The Right Questions?
Here’s the good news: commitment, perseverance and business acumen are essential to get new customers. Here’s the bad news: once you won them you need to use the same ingredients plus adding extra effort if you want to retain them! As business is based on the relationship between people, it is paramount to nurture them every single day.
We’re living in a super competitive world with ever changing business paradigms. What is considered ‘awesome’ today, may become normal for your customers tomorrow. Consequently your competitors products and services may soon become more sexy than yours. A bit scary, uh?
My aim though is to help you stand out from your competitors in the long-term. I can tell you that the answer is customers… but you have to read more below to learn about the two crucial questions you’d better ask yourself.
1. What are you doing today to retain your customers?
Today’s business competition is technologically-fierce. Brands are constantly trying to steal customers from competitors making seductive short-term offers on multiple devices (TV, radio, smartphones, tablets, PC).
The Print is always big and bold. You’ve all seen these types of offers:
“Join us now and get the first 3 months free”
or
“Save 30% on your home insurance policy”
As your customers are easy reachable and constantly tempted by such offers, they may fall into others arms when you least expect it. So the first thing you have to do is to meet and exceed their expectations every single day. And you should start by avoiding giving them lousy answers.
TIP: the best antidote against competitors’ offerings is building TRUST day by day, brick by brick. The answer is customers.
2. How do you see your business in the next 3 years?
Now, let’s make a mental shift from a short to a long-term vision of business.
- What are my business goals for the next 3 years?
- How many paying customers do I need to get and retain?
- How would up-selling / cross-selling activities could help me get my overall results?
TIP: Think over the above questions and try to respond honestly…to yourself. I suggest that you write down your answers as a draft. Next, make amendments where necessary, until you get to your final answers. Then you should use them as the main pillars to draw your business road map.
The answer is customers. Act now!
I guess you’ve heard the term ‘lead nurturing’ many times. But nurturing must not end with the sale. Afterwards, you’ve got do ‘customer nurturing’, which means:
- Carefully listening to them, to get valuable feedback and insights
- Proactively engaging: Start conversations instead of just replying to their queries
- Show that you really care about them as PEOPLE
That’s an ongoing process that never ends. It’s demanding, but if you consistently follow it. it pays off. The pace of technology innovation is faster and faster, but do not forget that customers decisions are emotional.
Please comment
So, what do you think you need to do to keep your customers happy and take advantage of their positive word-of-mouth?
I’d really love to read your comment below.
Featured image: Copyright: ‘https://www.123rf.com/profile_melpomen‘ / 123RF Stock Photo
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Paolo Fabrizio
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