You only get one chance to make a first impression — here are our top tips on how to get it spot on!
As recent studies have shown, you have about seven seconds to form the perfect first impression. Whether you’re meeting a new face for the very first time or looking to introduce a new prospect to your brand, a good first impression goes a long way…
First impressions are important as customers will remember them for the rest of your journey with you. At point of first contact, their impressions of your brand will start to be formed so it’s vital that you get it right. Let’s face it, a great first impression could create a customer for a lifetime but if their first interaction with you is a bad one, it’s likely you’ll face losing their business.
So what does it take to form the perfect first impression? How can we immediately cement trust for our brand? Well, surprisingly it’s the little things that count.
Here are our top 5 tips and tricks to securing an instant long-lasting relationship with your customers.
Be available!
Customers will interact differently with your product. Some may find it easy to find what they want, whilst others may encounter difficulties. Either way you should always be there to help them out wherever possible. Nothing pains me more than seeing customers go through the entire sales process without a single meeting point from an employee. Most likely, if a customer isn’t receiving the help they need, they’re going to go somewhere else.
This isn’t just for brick and mortar companies or retailers which handle customer service face-to-face, it counts even when buying online. There must be some sort of service which is always available for the consumer. Otherwise, you’re going to spoil that first impression before any sort of sales process has even begun.
Introduce yourself with a smile on your face
Customers remember the service a lot longer than they remember the price, and a customer will never forget a member of staff that dealt with them with a smile on their face. Equally so, they’ll never forget a member of staff that clearly looked like they didn’t want to be there. It’s such a simple concept, yet so many businesses fail to get this right. All it takes it a smile and a friendly service and customers can fall in love with your brand in an instant. Make it happen!
Be personal…
Many businesses seem to fall short when it comes to getting personal with customers. It’s very common particularly with SaaS companies to acquire the email in the first instance, then continue to send out general, non-personalised emails which really do not engage with the customer on a personal level.
Consumers love a personal touch. We’ve found that even a simple use of their name can increase engagement on the spot and show your interest for their needs. The more personal you are with your communications the more important they’ll feel. It sends a very specific and important message to your customers that they’re not just a number to you. Once they receive this message, they are way more likely to become a regular customer.
Be the expert
This seems like a no brainer, but it’s your responsibility to be the expert on everything you’re selling/providing. Know so much that you don’t ever leave a question unanswered and you’re always on point to respond, inform and most importantly, help them! If you don’t know enough about your product/service customers will sniff you out, fast! If you know it all, your customers will trust you and trust is what cements loyalty.
Learn what your customers think of you
All in all, the better you understand your customers, the easier you’ll find it to earn their loyalty. Feedback will allow you to understand what your customer expect of you, so the next time a new prospect walks through the door, you’ll know exactly what it takes to exceed their ever-growing expectations.
