We invest a lot of time and money to learn, analyze and innovate marketing strategies to increase sales in our companies. No less important is knowing how to keep customers long-term, knowing what to do so that our customers continue buying our products / services. The cost of getting a new client can be five times higher than that of serving those we already have. It is also true that a satisfied customer can increase our sales by recommending our products / services.
Customers are very important, and they allow you to continue in the Business. Therefore you must understand what your customers need to be able to offer it to them.
That is why I want to share with you some techniques to develop strategic relationships with your clients in the medium and long term:
Post-sale monitoring
At the end of each sale it is important to check that the client is satisfied with having done Business with you. Confirm that the client has achieved what he was looking for. Show your interest and listen carefully as it could give you clues about future purchases. Always keep your clients up to date with the latest trends in your specialty. Send notes, newsletters, articles and invitations to seminars that provide valuable information.
Knowledge
It is important to continue learning about what we do and what each area of our Business consists of. Knowledge leads to respect. It will allow you to offer answers and solve problems quickly. They also improve your skills to influence your customers. Strive to understand your clients' businesses and their needs as much as possible before proposing how to help them.
Diligence
By doing things right and fast you will get plenty of praise. Customers like things to be done "for yesterday" instead of "for tomorrow." As a general rule calls should be returned as soon as possible, emails returned the same day, orders processed daily.
Seriousness
Always carry out your commitments. Your clients want you to fulfill your obligations. They want what is promised. Don't promise so much and it offers a better service than you expect.
Humanity
Make customers feel that you see them as people. Learn to treat them like friends. Work to establish an informal relationship based on trust and mutual help. Each customer has some of the following basic human needs and expects them to be met:
- The need for things to be done right the first time. The need for things to be done effectively. The need to succeed. The need to be treated in a unique way. The need to feel safe.
Attitude
Always think positively. Positive people are like magnets, they attract positive people. Having good thoughts will make you feel better and when you feel better you do things better.
Sometimes it is difficult to keep all customers satisfied at once and there will always be some angry. In these cases it is very important to put yourself in the client's place and understand their anger, frustration or disappointment. Let them know you understand, and then tell them what you will do to reduce their level of frustration. Every time something goes wrong, try to determine which of your client's needs you neglected. Learn from the experience and do your best next time.
