Build Business Relationships With Your Customers
Building a relationship with your customer base is a must if you would like to grow your business. We all remember a bad experience which is why it’s so important to give our customer’s good experiences – but how do we go about this? In this article we take a look at a few ways to build better customer relationships.
Have you ever visited a cafe? I am sure that you must have. Every one of us does at some point.
So what is it that you like the most about the cafe?
- The ambience of cafe.
- The food or drinks.
- The music.
- The care taken by cafe of your hobbies like reading books, listening music, playing instruments, games etc.
- The quality time that you can spend with your friends or loved ones.
All this is absolutely perfect but think what would happen if the cafe staff or owner is absolutely rude to you or cafe staff does not deliver your order on time or does not pay attention to you. Yes we can guess that the answer will be NO!!! You will not like the place. No matter how much you work on external aesthetics, basic human behaviour matters and no one likes rude behaviour or getting ignored.
This is exactly the same when it comes to business relations. People are the same around the globe and their behaviour is also very much predictable. You help someone in solving a problem or pay attention to them whenever required and that will ensure long term relationships and if you don’t, you lose a chance of having a friendly relationship.
Same is the case with business relations. If you solve your customers problem and maintain your relationship with them, you will have a long term business relation. If you are unable to give a solution, you lose your customer.
Your prospects or customers are with you or have chosen you because they know you can solve their issue. But the harsh reality is that there are many in market who can solve the same issue. So what you can do differently to ensure long term business relations with your customers?
Keep your contacts organized
Have your leads and deals properly organised as they will give you insights or information. You can set up auto task and FU reminders so that you follow-up with your prospects on time without any delay. A lead management crm can help you with lead management and deal pipeline management.
Listen empathetically
Your clients/prospects come to you for a solution so here you have to be like that patient friend who is trying to solve other friend’s problems without ignoring him.
You just need to listen what your customers are telling you. Once they are done ask relevant question which can help in solving the problem. If you are unaware of the solution, be polite and let them know that you will check and get back to them. And yes, do Get Back. Forgetting to get back to customer is a sign that you have ignored him and his issue completely and can ruin your business relations.
Don’t just remember customers on renewal, keep a personal touch
Business relationships can be built when you keep in touch on a regular basis. I do not mean to say literally every week but once in a month or two months is an ideal time to just pick up your phone and dial a call to customers.
We can also give you occasions where you can call and these call are never unwanted by your customers. They will in fact feel happy that you got in touch.
- Call on birthdays of your customers.
- Wish them on festivals.
- If you are about to close a deal, don’t forget the influencers.
You can talk to them for no reasons like an occasional call works. You can also ask them about their hobbies and try to build a healthy relationships with these light conversations. How well do you Follow-up with your contacts on casual basis also makes a difference. It is important as it gives a sense to your clients that they are not been remembered only at the time of renewals. A visit to a client will also work wonders.
Appreciate client’s achievement
Know your clients/prospects and their work. If they have won appreciation, do not wait for the right time to get in touch with them. Just pick your phone or write an email and congratulate them. This gives them a feeling that your are updated about them. You pay attention and this gives a sense of belongingness.
Learn the power of follow-ups and that will give you much more than you expect. A happy customer/prospect can give you benefits like:-
- He will be a loyal customer and not plan to switch to any other solution even if that is the world’s best.
- Word of mouth communication acts magically in a happy customers case because he refers you to his peers, friends and other contacts.
- With referrals you have an opportunity to have more business opportunities.
Business relations are exactly the same like cafe example we discussed earlier. The more personal touch you have, the more you are likely to have healthy and long-lasting business relations with your prospects and customers.
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