The customer ‘valentine’ relationship

Do you remember how you were wooed? The frequent dates, the communication (raps), what they said and what you said in reply? You enjoyed being together till you finally tied the knot, as they say.

You have now acquired a customer. So what next? How do you maintain the relationship? Maintaining a customer is too mild a term for a customer-centric relationship.

More specifically, how do you continue to ‘wow’ them? The foundation of any relationship, be it personal or business, is based on trust and communication. How do you deepen the relationship with your customer in these challenging times of keen competition, low revenues, slow business and ‘flirty’ customers? The customer has so much choice so as a service provider, you need to constantly delight (wow) the customer.

Keep in touch You can keep in touch with relevant content to your target audience. Signing up a customer is just the first step and hopefully the experience is what will enable the relationship to develop further.

Create space for customers to connect with you with their issues and concerns via twitter, Facebook and your website.

In fact, use every available channel to keep you ‘top of mind’. Remember we described the customer as ‘flirty’ because of the variety of available ‘Romeos’ who want to take your place.

There are a number of strategies you can implement, one of these is to make sure your online presence is effective. Use social networks, newsletters, emails and blogs. Another valuable strategy is to set up a process to regularly collect feedback. Keeping in touch in relationships will ensure that the customer knows that they are important.

Gifts We all love gifts. There is this story of a customer who never made a fuss about his birthday at home. One day he received a birthday card from his bank and his family was surprised at the excitement he showed. Your aim should be to delight the customer with free trials, discounts and valuable information that will help their business.

For your top customers offer, to host them at an event that would give them more exposure with the opportunity to network with their target customers. Remember how you felt when you received gifts during your courting days.

Listen to us Listening is a skill people appreciate, more so women. Ask their preferences through social media, surveys and using face-to-face interactions to get their feedback. You feel appreciated when you are listened to. With attentive listening, you will position yourself to meet and exceed their expectations.

Providing value and listening are key in any relationship. Ask your significant ‘other’ about the value placed on listening. Often, complaints are about not being listened to. Listening is probably the most significant component of a successful relationship.

You can understand the needs of your customer with attentive listening. Don’t talk at them. You have to treat them as you would in a relationship by listening to their specific concerns and responding accordingly.

Apologise Yes, if you have messed up, do apologise. It can become an opportunity to build trust. A customer shared a story where she made a scene at the banking floor because of a wrong entry she had complained about.

Even though she was frustrated, in her own words, she cooled down when the managing director himself came over to handle the situation by apologising. However, make sure you are not always messing up because the customer’s perception of you is their reality.

Customers don’t like to be kept waiting too long. Follow up on your promises to call back or to deliver within the stipulated time as stated in your brochure and communication channels. Keep your word and keep cutomers informed.

Always under-promise and over-deliver. In the words of Tom Peters,“Quality is important, to be sure. So is absolute response time and price. But at the top of most lists, by far, is keeping your word.”

Crux It is often what you do beyond the sale that matters. Your thought may be that these are such simple steps to take. Yes they are, but are you taking the steps? As a service provider, what the customer really wants from the relationship takes precedence over what you might think they want.

You have to provide them with value and as you do this, you will benefit in return. Show them that you are listening and that you care and are attuned to their needs and what’s in their best interest.

Deepening the relationship Customer-centric approach has proven valuable at driving higher revenue per customer and most importantly, a higher chance of going out on that second date will eventually lead to a customer who is wooed and wowed. You love your customers, don’t you?

The writer is a training consultant . Email: www.skillsharingconsult@gmail.com.