by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Jun 17, 2013 | Customer Service, Entrepreneur, Small Business
Sure, you have a business, but whether you sell a product or a service, you must provide SERVICE. What makes you so much different from your competitor that your prospects are knocking down your door? Or are they?
Solving problems is your real product not your widget or your services. Anyone and everyone does that. It is you, your service and your ability to meet the customer/prospect needs that will drive your business.
You already know that people buy from people. You are “people” not just your brand or your company. It is your responsibility to meet needs, solve issues and instill a level of comfort and trust with your audience. The buying decision occurs in the emotional environment.
“Too many business owners and sales people try to sell their product or service, neglecting the fact that their customer is a person. In fact, the customer is a person who has feelings, influences and a mind of their own. They want to be connected with, and to trust and believe the person from which they are buying.” Rebecca Wilson
According to their findings in a Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, Brand Keys Inc, concluded that the buying decision is 70% emotional and only 30% rational. “Emotional engagement is the pivotal key to successful marketing.” It is up to you to build an emotional, personal relationship with consumers, conveying trust, comfort and understanding.
Social media affords you the platform of being personal, getting to know your audience, their drivers and their pain points. It is up to you to create your reliable brand persona instilling trust and generating a comfort level and feeling of confidence with you and your company. Georgina El Morshdy outlines 30 Ways to Build the “Know, Like, and Trust” Factor that Grows an Audience on Copyblogger. “Your audience won’t pick up real momentum until you’ve mastered the “know, like, trust” factor.”
The relationship building approach works to consistently develop trust, loyalty and a foundation for a long term partnership. It takes time to build any genuine relationship but isn’t your customer worth it? Being in business isn’t just about the sale; it is about fulfilling needs, valuing your customer and providing impeccable service.
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | May 14, 2013 | Customer Service, Entrepreneur, Small Business
I love to read! One day I was sitting on the floor of a local bookstore, in the business of course, and picked up “Little Teal Book of Trust” by Jeffrey Gitomer. What a dynamic book about becoming a trusted advisor in business and life. Building and earning trust is a key foundation for any relationship. In operating a business, you want to be “THE ONE” customers and prospects call for assistance, products and services. Your customer wants to know he is valued, respected and you have his best interests at heart.
WHAT A CUSTOMER WANTS FROM YOU by Jeffrey Gitomer
Instead of simply telling you how important the elements that will make relationships happen are (because you AND the rest of the world already know that), here, for YOUR benefit, are the actual elements:
- Relate to me. Know my needs and issues. Engage me by showing me other customers who are benefiting from doing business with you.
- Prepare for me. Show me that you have done your homework about my situation, not just yours.
- Don’t waste my time. Don’t ask me what you could have found out on your own.
- Tell me the truth. Truth leads to trust. I need to trust you in order to have a relationship with you.
- Tell me how I can use your product or service to build my business. I want to know how I can produce in my environment.
- Tell me how I can profit from the relationship. I want to know how I can profit from buying. And I want to know that you know.
- Show me the value, not just how it works. What are the elements of value attached to your product or service that relate to me?
- Make it easy for me to do business with you.
- Make service available when I need it.
- Be friendly to me. If I’m going to establish a relationship with you, I want it to be a friendly one.
- Respond quickly. If I call you, it’s because I need you, and I need a response now.
- Deliver on time. When you tell me it’s going to be there, I expect it. And it helps reinforce my feeling that you can meet my expectations.
- Have answers for me when I need them. I have questions about how your product works.
- Stay in touch with me. Keep me informed on a proactive basis. Make your messages more about me than you.
- Let me know when things or technologies change. Keep me informed about how I can stay ahead, even if it means buying more.
- Keep your promises. If you tell me something will happen, make it happen.
- Be a partner, not a vendor. Tell me how we will work together. And then prove it by your deeds.
- Serve me. I need to feel that service after the sale is more important than the emotion leading up to the order.
Do you know your customer?
