When it comes to growing your business, people often overlook their current customer base. Usually you hear businesses talking about how to generate new sales or how to market to new customers. Not to say that either of these two items should be neglected, but focusing on your current customers can often be a better long-term investment.
If a customer feels they are receiving service that makes them feel they are appreciated, they will be more likely to return. If you have a business that is more client-based, perhaps they will be more likely to seek you out for future projects. Perhaps the best factor here (particularly for a small business) is that current customers are much easier to market and sell to as opposed to trying to reach out to new potential clients. This effectively means that providing great customer service is your most efficient means to generating business.
This article from Entrepreneur lists several ways to show your current customers how much of a value they are to you. I particularly like some of the following tips:
- “Keep it personal. Voice mail and email make it easy to communicate, but the personal touch is lost. Don’t count these as legitimate follow-up. If you’re having trouble getting through, leave a voice mail message that you want to talk to the person directly or will stop by their office at a designated time.”
- “Establish support systems that give employees clear instructions for gaining and maintaining service superiority.”
- “Act on the knowledge that customers value attention, competence, promptness and dependability.”
- Ask for feedback. Survey your customers regularly to find out how you’re doing. Send postage-pad questionnaire cards or letters, call them by phone, and set up focus groups. Ask for suggestions, then fix the trouble areas revealed.
While all of the items in the Entrepreneur article might not apply to your particular business, it is definitely worth looking over. Maybe these are things already being enacted by your organization. Although, maybe there is an item or two in there to help push your business over the top. Read the full article here.
