By providing a personal touch and utilizing effective tools, businesses can easily retain their customers and ensure long-term loyalty. In 2023, technology trends in business increased, especially regarding enhancing client relationships. More than ever, companies are leveraging new technology to reach customers across multiple digital channels. As a result, more marketers are shifting their budgets from traditional advertisement methods to mobile applications, social media, videos, and podcasts. Although these tools are a great way to find new customers and share content with existing ones, companies in all industries must continue to build better client relationships for retention. It's been proven repeatedly that purchasing behaviors can be driven by the emotional connections created by establishing more fulfilling client relationships, after all. The Importance of Bringing Emotion to Business RelationshipsAny business's success depends on its customers' loyalty and satisfaction. Without loyal brand advocates who routinely come back for services or products offered, the business will require costly acquisition methods to find new buyers continuously. In a world dominated by algorithms and screens, finding the right audience and converting can be challenging. That's why it's imperative to continue to focus on retention efforts — it's less expensive to get returning customers to purchase again, and they are likely to spend more when purchasing a new customer. Building Successful Business RelationshipsUsing technology to automate and enhance the buying cycle can make connecting with customers scalable. Many unique tools can be used to create a memorable and emotional connection with customers. First and foremost, you must acknowledge the whole person and not just what they do for your business. Building a relationship with a customer and not another order number takes sending additional touchpoints outside of the sales cycle. Emotions tend to drive purchasing behavior, so work to find important life and special occasion moments to build upon the business relationship and improve retention rates in the process. Pitfalls to Avoid When Automating TechnologyWhile many companies are showing ways that the use of technology can enhance business operations and customer experiences, many brands are falling into the trap of relying too heavily on tech tools without considering the human touch. One common mistake brands make is treating technology as a replacement for human interaction. This can lead to impersonal customer experiences and a lack of trust. Customers value genuine connections and personalized interactions with businesses, which makes it essential for brands to remember that technology should complement, not replace, these human interactions. The Importance of Continuous Training and SupportAnother area where brands go wrong is by implementing complex tech tools without providing proper training or support. Technology can overwhelm employees and customers if they do not fully understand how to use it effectively. Unfortunately, no new technology will function correctly without a usage guide. This makes it vital for companies to implement comprehensive training programs and provide ongoing support to ensure that everyone feels comfortable using these tools. Without a doubt, companies are building successful business relationships through the use of technology. However, they need to remain focused on providing the human factor at every interaction to make sure customers are getting the most out of the technology as well. How a Business Technology Strategy Can Ensure Future SuccessTechnology trends in business are ever-evolving. Recently, we have seen many companies focus on ways to implement artificial technologies into their practices. Although AI and other forms of technology come with an array of benefits, it is critically important to determine where each new piece belongs. There is never a one-size-fits-all solution for developing a business technology strategy. However, there are a few things that you can do to ensure success with technology today and in the coming years: 1. Create a roadmap to success. Building a roadmap can help you remain focused along the journey. You should identify your business goals, the timeline in which you want to meet your goals, and the resources that are needed to implement your business technology strategy. This step will help you remain focused on the road ahead. 2. Increase efficiency with automation. Try to automate everything that you can. Automation is key to saving time and increasing efficiency. Look for areas in your business practices where manual processes can be replaced with automation. This can help you focus more on urgent tasks while ensuring your team is able to focus on customers and use their time more effectively. 3. Test now to avoid disaster later.Determining which forms of technology will work for your business and help you reach your goals is crucial. That's why testing is a critical part of finding out what works. Take ample time to test your technology in various scenarios to ensure it works as intended. Catching bugs and other issues early on can save you time and money in the long haul. 4. Tailor your technology to customer needs.Your stakeholders and customers play a vital role in your success. Listening to them and understanding their specific needs and concerns is imperative. This can help you tailor your technology to meet their needs while ensuring it remains efficient and effective. Reviewing client lifecycle management information, speaking with customers, and talking with customer service reps can help you find out what is working and, even more importantly, what's not working so that you can keep your customers happy. 5. Keep genuine connections in your technology stack.Identify which parts of the process your customers want something more than technology can provide and work that into the flow. Embracing the importance of human touch at every step enables brands to tap into our innate desire for connection in an increasingly disconnected world. It adds authenticity, warmth, and understanding at every step of the customer journey while building relationships beyond mere transactions. By providing a personal touch and utilizing effective tools, businesses can easily retain their customers and ensure long-term loyalty. Instead of constantly jumping on to the latest trend or using too many tools, it is essential for businesses to carefully select the right ones that fit their needs and use them strategically. With a strong customer retention business technology strategy, businesses can thrive and continue to provide excellent products or services to their loyal customers. Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com
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When it comes to communicating with customers, every company has their own way of doing things. Whether it’s following the “the customer is always right” rule or following a pre-written script designed to deescalate conflict, each customer service team draws on their past experiences to communicate with customers in the most effective way. But as this is a process that evolves over time, the practices you follow now may not be the same ones you used when you started. To shed some light on their own experiences with customer communication, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council each share the best lesson they ever learned about communicating with customers and the impact that lesson has had on how they do business now. 1. Phone Calls Always Beat EmailsOne of the best lessons I've learned regarding customer communication is that phone calls always beat emails. Especially when discussing complex or challenging topics, jump on a call with your customer to ensure all details are fully understood. Emails can be easily misinterpreted and, without real-time feedback, issues can escalate without you realizing it. Phone calls also demonstrate to the customer that you care about their business and will ultimately help cultivate stronger relationships. - Jack Perkins, CFO Hub 2. Active Listening Can Transform Your InteractionsThe paramount lesson I've embraced is the power of active listening. By genuinely trying to understand customers, I've built trust, tailored solutions to precise needs and preemptively addressed conflicts. This realization has reshaped my company's customer success operations. We have integrated a customer-centric approach into decisions, invested in communication training for my team and established robust feedback mechanisms. Active listening isn't just a skill—it's the essence of my business's enduring success, converting every interaction into a valuable opportunity. - Julia Rodgers, HelloPrenup 3. Leading With Humility Builds Trust And LoyaltyLead with humility. If you made a mistake, own it and let your customers see that you take responsibility. There have been many times where I have faced potential conflict and it was resolved by simply taking the path of least resistance, which is eliminating the excuses. Customers want to feel heard and they don't care about the reasons why you or your business messed up. You'll be surprised how much respect your customers will give you when you say things like, "This has nothing to do with my team and everything to do with me. I apologize and here's what I'm doing to make it right." Then, do what you say you're going to do. This simple approach will build trust and loyalty within your customer base. - Drew Gurley, Redbird Advisors 4. The Best Relationships Arise From Difficult ConversationsOver the years, I've learned that, while conversations with happy customers feel great, the best relationships are built from difficult conversations. Taking the time to truly listen to your customers and hear their perspectives creates opportunities to strengthen those relationships. Now, I welcome opportunities to communicate with clients and encourage my team to not just accept feedback but to ask for it. - Rachel Lipson, Blue Balloon Songwriting for Small People 5. Customers Need To Know How Much You CareOne of the most profound lessons I've gleaned from customer communication is encapsulated in the quote often attributed to President Theodore Roosevelt: "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." This quote underscores the significance of adopting a customer-centric approach, fostering trust, mastering effective communication and adopting a consultative mindset. By embracing the genuine and authentic essence of this communication philosophy, we can cultivate strong relationships and deep trust with our clients. This, in turn, translates into heightened customer satisfaction, greater retention rates and an enhanced brand reputation. - Kevin Getch, Webfor 6. Sometimes No Communication Is The Best CommunicationYou can’t make all customers happy, so sometimes no communication is the best communication. In other words, it's okay to let go of some "bad" customers. Some signs that it's okay to let a customer go include if the customer is abusive to your employees, if the customer can't be pleased no matter what you do and if the customer is a legal and social media threat. Ideally, your company will have some customer support software in place, such as a live chat or an FAQ page that can help mitigate customer anger, but sometimes the best communication is no communication. Setting high standards for communication is a win for your employees, and it also creates a culture of respect for all customers. Focus on and embrace customers who love you and whom you want to retain. - Shu Saito, All Filters 7. Your Customers Are Your FriendsYour customers are your friends. You must imbibe the philosophy that communicating with your customers is similar to communicating with your friends. Your customers should feel like they are getting to know you and that you respect and value them—because every relationship, business or otherwise, is a two-way street. Tone is crucial to communication in this manner. A consistent tone—from customer support calls to marketing messages across platforms—is essential for effective communication when engaging with your customers. It is also vital that your entire staff understands how to speak with customers, whether it is on a sales call or about a complaint. How you communicate with customers and respond to their needs is what will lead to customer satisfaction and better customer experiences. - Bryce Welker, Accounting Institute of CPAs 8. Think 'The Customer And I Understand Each Other'I've learned a ton of lessons when it comes to how and when I communicate with customers. One memorable lesson I learned is this: Instead of "the customer is always right," you should focus on "the customer and I understand each other." If you tell someone they are correct and make a change without understanding why, you can guarantee the same issue will come up again. I recommend working with customers with questions or problems so you can better understand their concerns and they can know what you're going to try to resolve the issue. Understanding each other makes it much easier for everyone to have a positive experience. - Chris Christoff, MonsterInsights Source: https://www.forbes.com Image Credit: GETTY
Sometimes the most difficult experiences can push you in the right direction. For Carmen Sturniolo, owner of Ambitious Athletics, that moment came after his father passed away from a medical condition. He realized a desk job wouldn't satisfy him and began thinking about how he could live his life to the fullest. "There's gotta be something more I could be doing for the world, kind of like my dad did," Carmen said. "He was a carpenter, also cut hair. He had a small business in his day, and he never had to hand out a business card. Everybody came to him." Inspired by his dad, Carmen quit his job and started working at a gym as a personal trainer, gaining skills and learning more about the industry. Feeling like he could offer more, he pursued his own fitness business, training clients at his house or the park and fostering an unofficial gym community. When it was time to open his first brick-and-mortar business in 2015, he made sure the space was encouraging and inspiring for his clients. "With every decision as an entrepreneur, you're looking to maximize your time and perfect everything right up front. So it was many hours of standing in this shelled out space," he said. "When you walk in, there's a big mural with our chevrons up there that says, 'Strong, fit, athletic.' And that's what I always want to bring to our clients, and hopefully our clients want to embody." Yelp reviewer Steven C. said he found Ambitious Athletics on Yelp while reading reviews to find a gym he could feel comfortable going to. Prior bad experiences at other gyms had made him nervous about entering the fitness scene without a lot of experience. "What I was really nervous about was, I've been to gyms before, and most of the time it's just like open equipment. So you go and you feel bad about yourself because everyone else is very in shape," Steven said. In order to address common concerns and fears similar to Steven's, Carmen has a personal conversation with each potential client that comes in and offers a $20 one-week trial period so potential clients have a low risk option to try out the gym. "Honestly, it's so we can just have a conversation with you and be ourselves and demonstrate our quality of training here, our community, and how we carry ourselves and want to actually make a difference in health and fitness," Carmen said. Because he understands how important it is for each client to be cared for, Carmen asks questions during the trial period—ranging from what their fitness goals are to where they are in their life. This creates a safe environment where clients feel understood and less intimidated with a professional to guide them and help them achieve their goals. "So you come in for that starter session, and that gives us the opportunity to meet you, understand where you are, who you are as a person, what you've done in the past, what you're currently doing, what you're currently looking for. What's your injury history like? Why are you doing this?" he said. "That would be important to me if I walked into any gym, any business where I was investing in myself, to be known as somebody, not just a number, and be a part of the volume of clientele." Backing up that sentiment, Carmen said he and his staff look at a report every Friday to see which clients have been able to come in and which ones haven't. If clients haven't shown up, they check in to make sure they're doing okay. "We know that showing up three to four times a week is most beneficial for your goals. And we like to see people. It's always more fun when there's more people in here and everyone is in here and laughing and having a great time, 'cause fitness should be fun," he said. When it comes to feedback about the experience his business provides, Carmen takes reviews very seriously and has a process for reading and responding to them. "If it's a one star or a five star, I wanna be able to read it, absorb it, and react logically if there needs to be a reaction, or let it hit me emotionally. So I take the time to carve out like 30 minutes and just absorb it," Carmen said. "If it's a current member, I'll email them and say 'Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review that you feel is helpful to us, and also helpful to the next person." Other businesses can learn from Ambitious Athletics's journey, including the following tips:
Source : https://www.entrepreneur.com
Are you seeking to foster growth and achieve better results for your business this year? In a world where customer expectations are rapidly evolving, the importance of creating a customer-centric culture cannot be overstated. One of the most effective strategies in this pursuit is the implementation of a Voice of Customer (VoC) program. However, it's not just about launching a program; it's about using it smartly to drive growth rather than just incurring costs. What is a Voice of Customer program? At its core, a Voice of Customer program is a vehicle through which customers provide their valuable feedback, insights and opinions about their experiences, needs, wants and expectations in relation to your products and services. It serves as a direct line of communication between your business and your customers, enabling you to tap into their thoughts and feelings to inform and enhance your strategies. The pitfalls of ineffective VoC programs Despite the popularity of VoC programs, many of them fail to deliver the intended benefits. CEOs often struggle to justify the ongoing expenses associated with these programs due to a lack of discernible return on investment. What should be a robust tool for insights and growth often turns into a one-dimensional process that merely yields scores and basic insights. So, why do these programs fall short? The number one reason for the ineffectiveness of many VoC programs is the failure to ask the right questions in the right manner. A successful VoC program — backed by our global experience over two decades — recognizes that customers are diverse and their interactions with your brand are unique. Therefore, a personalized approach to gathering feedback is essential. Rather than asking every customer the same questions, tailor the questions to each customer's experience. Keep the feedback process concise, interactive and relevant, allowing for real-time adjustments. Aim to uncover the "why" and the behavioral aspects behind their feedback. Leveraging technology, such as text, audio and video responses, can enhance the depth of insights. Take continuous action over passive insights To derive value from a VoC program, it's crucial to prioritize taking action over merely collecting insights. While measuring customer attributes and tracking loyalty drivers are important, they shouldn't be the end goal. Instead, focus on identifying the most pressing customer-led priorities and addressing them promptly. By honing in on a single priority, it becomes easier to transition from data collection to impactful actions. Measure success based on individual and team improvements, aligning these improvements with sales growth and customer retention. By translating enhanced customer experiences into tangible business outcomes, the program's value becomes undeniable. The role of program leadership A successful VoC program isn't a set-it-and-forget-it endeavor. It necessitates robust program leadership and engagement. Collaboration with experienced partners is key to tailoring the program to your business, from setup to implementation and ongoing management. Software systems alone are insufficient to drive the program's success; customization is essential to align the program with your specific business needs. A holistic approach, including ongoing management of the customer journey, actionable results and integration with sales KPIs, is the recipe for meaningful change. Feedback ASAP: Driving real change In the quest for growth through a customer-centric culture, the "Feedback ASAP" program — getting feedback as soon as possible — stands out as a testament to the power of a well-executed VoC strategy. Rather than relying on generic solutions, this program capitalizes on personalization, actionable insights and robust program leadership to deliver tangible results. By identifying missed sales opportunities and offering real-time solutions, it empowers teams to improve their skills and capabilities through targeted eLearning. This integrated approach aligns changes with overarching strategic goals, making the entire business ecosystem work in harmony toward growth. The road to growth in today's business landscape is paved with customer-centric strategies, and at the forefront of these strategies is the Voice of Customer program. While its popularity has grown, so has the realization that the key to success lies in asking the right questions, taking continuous action and having strong program leadership. The paradigm has shifted from collecting insights to driving results and the Feedback ASAP program exemplifies this shift. The time has come to embrace a customer-centric culture and unleash the true potential of your business through the power of your customer's voice. Source : https://www.entrepreneur.com
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