If your business isn’t always connecting with customers, you’ve got a problem.
In order to increase sales and ultimately your revenue, your customer connection must be solid. From a sound website to phone communications that are crystal clear and uninterrupted, communicating with clients should never be taken for granted.
While it may sound like a simple process, how many times have you as a consumer and not in the role of business owner been frustrated trying to connect with companies? The answer is likely more times than you would like to admit.
Don’t be that business owner that customers have trouble connecting with.
Take some time today to review your connections with customers to make sure you’re not dropping the ball.
Review and Repair Where Needed
So that you are giving customers the best means possible to connect with you, start out by reviewing your connections.
Among them:
- Phone – While many consumers are turning to online modes and even texting or social media to reach out to companies, the old and reliable phone still carries a ton of weight in today’s business world. Make sure your connections are solid, your employees answer calls in a timely manner and do not leave customers hanging, and customers can track down the proper individual or department without jumping through hoops;
- Internet – Just as important as your phones, your Internet connection needs to be solid and not going down all the time. If you have a website that routinely crashes, both current and potential customers are likely to get frustrated with you. In the end, some customers may decide they’ve had enough and will ultimately leave you. Just as you would want the right home Internet connection, be it FiOS or another such provider for all your residential online needs, the same should hold true for your business. If you’re thinking about changing Internet providers at work, look to see if you can find one who offers bundle deals so you can save some money, allowing you to only have to deal with one vendor. Finally, make sure you and your employees respond to customer emails. Yes, your email box may get flooded at times, but any customer inquiries should not be pushed to the end of the pile;
- Social Media – More and more companies are fortunately getting the message that social media matters. With that being the case, make sure your social connections don’t go unattended. Whether you use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest or any other relevant social sites, be sure you update them regularly. It is not uncommon for customers to go to your social networking pages to leave you feedback and/or have questions for you. If you don’t respond, don’t be shocked if some of those customers take their needs to your competition;
- Conferencing – One final area of customer contact (both current and potential) is when attending networking events, trade shows, Chamber of Commerce events etc. Make sure you are available to meet with consumers, especially those who are looking to learn more about your brand. While giving them a brochure or two or a five-minute video demonstration is great and all, that one-on-one personal touch is priceless. Map out the best events to attend during the year, promote them beforehand, and go with the idea that you’re coming home with some new customers when all is said and done.
Connecting with customers should always be at the top of your priority list as a business owner.
If it is not, you have some broken connections that need fixing.
About the Author: Dave Thomas writes for a variety of websites on topics such as marketing and small business.
