Caring for Your Customers

April 23, 2012 by 2 Comments

We live in a strange time. One in which much is said about customer service and yet as customers we seem to wait longer in lines, are on hold longer on the phones, and we talk to a much grouchier group of people when we do get through. It seems that customer service has less to do with service as it does with just surviving till the end of the day!

And yet, as I said, we live in strange times. In what often seems to be a customer service wasteland, there are more and more businesses that have made a “beyond reasonable measure” effort to meet the needs of their customers and to provide customer service that sets the bar higher than ever before! These companies know from experience that the cost of making new customers is much higher than the cost of keeping customers happy, repeat buying, and referring.

The key to happy customers is how they are cared for after the sale. So, what can entrepreneurs and start-ups learn from these “customer-centric” companies? Here are just a few thoughts:

  1. Great customer service comes from a service oriented business culture. When the overall culture of the company is service oriented from the front office to the care of vendors, to meeting the needs of both employees and customers; great customer service is a natural by product.
  2. Great customer service comes from people empowered to care for the customer. If someone handling a customer’s concerns does not have the authority to take action “right now” the customer may well do business elsewhere the next time. Quick action and empowered employees make great customer service.
  3. Great customer service comes from a genuine belief in the value of your product/service. When something that you believe is best for the customer (your product/service) doesn’t live up to its value, your belief in the product/service should motivate you to make the customer’s experience right!

There are certainly other things that can/do make customer service work well. These are at least a starting point. What do you think? What have you done in your business to make the customer’s experience right? What great service have you been given from other companies that brought you back a second time?

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Does Your Business Reflect You?

April 5, 2011 by 2 Comments

I have been doing a lot of reading over the past couple years as I have formulated what has become Doulos Marketing. I have read about marketing, business relationship building, social media, inbound marketing, facebook, twitter, and on and on and on. I have read the blogs of the top 150 and those who are called/considered to be the best people in the area of marketing.

I have learned tons! I really have enjoyed nearly all I have read and have found some wonderful people that I follow every day.

This being said, I think I have found one glaring problem. Nearly all of the people I read and even some of those who I follow every day all seem to be saying the same thing. It’s like someone establishes a “business principle” and then folks from all over the world seem to jump on it, re-purpose it and tell it to everyone who will listen. They then re-purpose it and tell it again and so on and so on. Before long and with rare exception there is less innovation and more of the same.

While I understand the necessity of learning business principles, I have found that the most successful people are the one’s who march to the beat of a different drummer. They are the one’s who create a business that follows after their dreams and aspirations. They create a business model, they establish their own measurements of success, they become their own evangelists, and they secure followers who will then become raving fans and ardent referrers.

In the end, while they understand basic business principles and models, they stand unique and on their own. They stand out because they don’t say the same things everyone else says, and they move unlike others in their own niches. They are innovators, independent thinkers, and thought leaders in their world.

Every business must decide early how they are going to exist and grow. We can choose to be like everyone else, say the same things, and sell our products/services in the same ways or we can choose to be like the greats. Walking and talking in a way that sets us apart and reflects who we really are as people and business owners.

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Connecting to Your Customer

January 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I think the single most important act of business is to connect with your customer. With that accomplished, your customer will be ready and willing to consider your product/service.

In order to reach this special place of connection, you need to consider three things:

1. Who your customer is and how your relationship can benefit you both. I know, I know most sales training teach the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) method of selling, but I believe that for you to do what’s best for your customer, both of you must derive a benefit from your relationship. This type of relationship will cause you to take great care of your customer and will cause your customer to respect you because of the value you provide him.

2. Your knowledge/skill set. If you have the knowledge/skills to benefit you customer then you can act upon them in confidence. If you do not then you can spare both of you lots of misery by referring the business to someone that does!

3. What kind of continued service you are going to supply after the sale. The greatest sense of loyalty is most often achieved after the check has been cashed and the money has been spent. Do you have a system in place that actually benefits your customers after the sale? Is it consistent and repeatable?

Knowing that in the current sales climate people are looking to buy products/services from people they know, like, and trust, you have to work at building relationships harder than at any time before. Are you willing to pay this price to connect with your customer?

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