Have you ever wondered why some businesses thrive more than others? As crazy as it sounds, having amazing products and services isn’t the only factor in having an accomplished brand. The other half relies on great customer service. Customers are the backbone to any business.
What you do behind the scenes plays an important role in reflecting your brand and how your brand does business. Although it may seem strategic and costly to drive excellent marketing, the reality is quite opposite. It’s all about how far you go for your clients and what unique steps you take in making your brand stand out. You can spend hundreds on advertising, but if people aren’t impressed with how proactive you are for them and the community, they might consider your competitors that do so instead. Grow your business without putting a dime down, by focusing on how you can make your company stand out from the crowd.
Take a look at your business, and identify the most important part of it? If your answer is clients, then you’re already there. Yes, there are many businesses that have substantial servicing, but there are very few businesses that go the extra mile for their clients. Businesses that go out of their way to keep their clients happy are in business longer and drive higher revenue.
Create Company Culture
Take the time out to improve your brand’s customer service by motivating and training your team. Guide and coach your team on how your company wants to reflects its client service from body language and voice, professionalism, and knowledge of resolutions. Customer service is the heart of marketing because it mirrors the company’s values and the way they treat their clients.
Create a positive culture in the workspace by making sure every team member is in accordance with the company’s mission and goals. It’s important that your representatives are confident and aware of how to carry out their responsibilities. Having a confident team representing your brand not only allows stronger bonds with customers but a stronger security of the business.
Keep A Human Connection
Let’s be honest. When clients phone customer service for assistance, it can be very uncomfortable and aggravating like talking to a robot. This is the same thing when engaging with clients. Don’t be a boring bot, loosen up! Let your bright personality shine through and customize each service catering to that specific client.
Introduce yourself, use their name, and look at it like helping out a friend (in a professional way, of course). Customers feel special when they connect with a representative that’s positive, honest, and accessible. Having a cookie cutter brand doesn’t help your clients to remember you, therefore questioning doing future business with you.
But your engagement with your customers doesn’t just stop at the door. Continue your relationship with them to help them remember you for next time or when a friend needs a referral. Sending a product to their home? Leave a unique thank you note in their package.
A veterinary clinic might even send postcards through the mail to remind clients about their upcoming pet appointments with a free treat or grooming incentive when they come in. This will definitely motivate their clients to come in faster rather than to think twice about it. Adding unique touches like these will make you stand out from your competitors.
Be Active in the Community
Make your brand existence known and maintain it! Don’t rely on flyers and business cards to do your work for you, everyone has made the switch to digital making social media your main domain to be active in. Successful brands thrive off of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and even Youtube to maintain their presence in the cyber world. The advancements in social media have worked to brands’ advantage because it has opened up a whole new world of audience engagement and marketing.
Just from a client simply swiping up on your brand “story” on Instagram or Snapchat, they are quickly taken to your website or page. You could also engage in chats or by giving clients special discounts if they follow your page. From giveaways, hashtags, blogs, and influencer promotions, staying active on social media enables your brand to grow and flourish.
Social media isn’t the only community to stay active in. Establish your presence in trade shows, offer free seminars and consultations, and give back to the community. If you are constantly active in your industry, potential clients will be attracted to your passion and are most likely to work with you. Doing this will help grow your name on clients to remember you. Offering free consultations knock out competitors and gives you the advantage to seal a deal with a client in need of your product/services.
For example, if you’re a landscaping company, offer a free consultation in their backyard so clients can meet you face to face. Meeting clients in person works to your leverage because you are given the chance to sell yourself, provide them with competitive estimates, and educate them. Customers love learning new things that are important for them to know to give back to your community with your expertise and they’ll surely return the favor.
Stay on top of Trends
Another important thing to keep in mind for going above and beyond for your clients is by staying relevant in real time. Not only do you get to show your creative side but it definitely can set you apart from competitors. Keep holidays, season trends, and special events/celebrations in mind to customize your next marketing strategy or promotion. For example, cable companies usually give out special promotions when the Super Bowl is coming up because they are aware of consumer needs.
Or if Valentine’s Day is coming up, a massage parlor might offer exclusive couples massage package in the trend of the holiday. Staying on top of trends allows you to be genuine and makes you more appealing to work with. You’ll gain many participation points this way!
Cater to Complications & Feedback
As humans of this planet, we are bound to make mistakes. A successful brand accepts their mistakes, fixes it immediately, and grows on it. But to prevent those mistakes from occurring in the future, implement a system to where the problem won’t show up again. Mistakes aren’t the only way to learning and flourishing, reviews and feedback should be the core asset in improving as a brand. Use survey services (like brainer) to collect and analyze your data. A brand may not always be perfect but can strive to be the best they can be.
Remember, negative feedback is better than no feedback. And even if you don’t receive any negative feedback, there’s always room to develop and raise the bar. Ask your clients important questions like, “How could our ___ be a better experience?,” or “What would you change about our ___?”