YDAS

Want to know the greatest way to get an edge on your competition? 

By making your clients happy.

Believe about it.  How do you beat your competitors?  By being a lot more productive.  And how are you a lot more profitable?  By making a lot more profits.

And to make much more profits, you need happy, satisfied buyers.

This could seem obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many tiny businesses forget 1 of the initial rules of company:  A happy customer is a repeat customer.  Not only that, a happy customer will tell generate additional consumers by way of referral.

1.  Treat your buyers with respect.

I’m continually amazed at how rudely several businesses treat their consumers. Granted, this occurs far more often in big, faceless corporations than in small businesses, but it occurs.  Customers are kept waiting, given the runaround, or are spoken to with disrespect.  It occurs all the time.

But hopefully it doesn’t take place in your firm. 

Treat your clients in a friendly, helpful manner and they will maintain coming back…and tell their friends.

2.  Tell the truth.

When you were a kid, did you ever watch old westerns?  Keep in mind the old snake oil salesmen who peddled goods with names like Dr. Hoover’s Miracle Elixir? For some reason, whenever I feel of dishonest company dealings, I always believe of that example.  Of course, those old charlatans didn’t have to worry about things like customer service, or truth in advertising, simply because come sundown, they’d be off to the next town and a fresh group of suckers.

Today’s clients are a lot savvier, thanks to consumer advocacy groups, the media, and the Net. No 1 likes to be fooled – even a small bit.  If consumers discover out they have been, they will not only take their business elsewhere, they will do their best to spread the word.

On the other hand, if you have a reputation for honesty, your client base will grow by way of word-of-mouth referrals.

Regardless how tempting it is to pad the truth or take a couple of liberties, honesty is  usually the finest policy. 

3.  Overdeliver.

Believe about one of your very best business experiences.  What made it much better than the others? 

For me, it’s my vehicle dealership.  No, seriously.  Initial of all, I bought a really great car…that helps.  And when I have to take it in for standard oil changes, my salesman meets me at the door with a “Great morning, Mrs. Williams!  We have your loaner auto all ready for you!”  I exchange keys with him and off I go.  When I come back a couple of hours later, my car is not only ready, but has been cleaned and vacuumed!  The next day, I receive a thank-you note in the mail along with a customer satisfaction survey.  How could I NOT know they value my company! And guess where I’ll go when it’s time to get one more car?

When you go the additional mile to show your client they’re far more than a sale, you develop customer loyalty that outcomes in repeat enterprise.

Here are couple of issues you may contemplate:

•  Send birthday cards and thank you letters.
•  Establish a “Frequent Buyer” club that gives rewards or discounts to loyal customers.
•  Encourage consumers to tell others about you by creating a referral program
•  Communicate consistently with your customers by way of issues newsletters, postcards, sales flyers, etc. 
•  Guarantee your work or product.
•  Send out periodic customer satisfaction surveys.

4.  Constantly give quality.

Regardless how great your customer service is, if you want repeat enterprise and customer referrals, you will need to give consistently high high quality. 

Initial of all, do your homework.  Locate out what is considered finest-in-class in your business, and then deliberately set out to meet and exceed it.

Second, decide what “quality” means to you and your firm, based on very best-in-class, and your own value system.  Write down your high quality statements.

Next, make positive everyone from the receptionist to the salespeople to management know what your quality statements are.  Post them prominently, and make positive everybody understands them.  Consider having a organization meeting to “kick them off.”

Lastly, put a top quality management program into location so you can monitor the quality of item and service to make certain consistent adherence. 

5.  Only make promises you intend to keep.

Nothing ruins a relationship (enterprise and personal) quicker than not keeping promises.  If you’re not dependable, or don’t deliver what you say you’ll deliver when you say you’ll deliver it, your clients won’t remain your customers for extremely long.

I have a friend who means well, but can by no means appear to hit a deadline.  She over promises and underestimates how long something is going to take her.  Now, she does excellent work and I would have liked to have sent enterprise her way, but I sent it to other people I knew would maintain their promises. 

A promise made needs to be a promise kept.

Do not tell a customer or possible customer what they want to hear just since they want to hear it.  Be realistic. Far better to lose the enterprise than to lose your reputation.  Due to the fact once a reputation is lost, it’s hard to get it back.

6.  Make it straightforward for your buyers to contact you.

You know what I hate?  Automated answering systems.  I realize they’re needed in numerous instances, but to have to punch five or six buttons in order to get parceled into the right category, only to hang up with my question or difficulty unsatisfied is more than frustrating to me.  I would rather have toothpicks shoved up my fingernails.  Okay, maybe not…but you get the point.

Think about having a customer service number staffed by a real person to manage customer complaints and troubles.  Make sure this person is empowered to take care whatever problem the customer may possibly have. 

Also try to be accessible to your consumers.  Being able to talk to the person in charge indicates a lot to most customers.

1 last thought:  It costs a lot a lot more to acquire a new client than it does to keep the ones you have happy.  Chances are you’re on the appropriate track already.

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