Top 3 ways to build loyalty
What is harder — to acquire a new customer or to retain an existing one?
It is obvious at first glance but if you think about it your current clients are as hard to keep as wining a new one. One reason is because we live in highly competitive world and the customer is usually in the position of choosing what solution to use. There are few things that can stop them from switching providers.
That’s why you should think not only for attractive marketing and sales proposals but also for consistent and strong policy for retaining customers. Because it costs 5 times more to earn a new customer than to keep an existing one1.
So let’s see how we can make our clients happy in order to be our promoters and loyal to the brand!
1. Be open and ask for feedback
Similarly, to creating relationships your friends, communication with customers must be open and two-sided. Ask what they think regularly and listen. You will hear some good reviews and be proud of your work but also you will understand their needs and find ways to improve your product or service.
Use surveys, but not only the long and boring ones which you place at the end of some actions. Use shorter and use them often. Make them relevant to the current status of the client. For example, when they make a purchase ask how their experience during the sales process was. Or when they send a ticket or some kind of request ask about the customer service they received.
Build trust, let them fell there is always someone in the organization who is on their side. Don’t look like you are asking for NPS only to prove the quality of your service. Be human, ask human questions and be open who and for what Is using their feedback.
Why not to follow up on their feedback after a while when you resolve or made some progress on their issue and tell them — “Here you can see how we manage to improve this and that as you suggested in your feedback”. Honestly, if you are a client and receive this kind of email, wouldn’t you be flattered to know that your opinion matters?
2. Stop cherry picking and be more transparent
In order to earn trust you must show that you don’t have anything to hide. This includes unrealistic sales promises, hidden clauses in the contract and showing only the perfect score.
Keep it real, show your good results but also show where you know things are not in the best possible state. Be transparent and show willingness to improve. This is more trustworthy to your customers than “always top of the class” attitude.
Publish reports more often. For your performance or progress on the development of new features so your clients can see that you are moving forward without expecting that everything to be ready right now. It is much better to deliver later as it is expected than to cover the mistakes because you couldn’t manage to meet your client’s expectations.
This strategy will create a strong group of loyal clients which will recommend and trust you. After them the others will follow. Like your local store salesman who will always tell you which tomato to buy, instead of pointing you the most expensive. That kind of trust and loyalty is what you are aiming for.
3. Ask and use testimonials
Testimonials are really powerful but also something that people look suspiciously at. On every website on the planet you will see them but how real are they? Can you trust a customer’s review which is placed on someone’s branded website or ad materials? The truth is NO, if they are just this.
Much better approach is to connect with real customers that really enjoy your brand and give them a platform for dynamic reviews. Facebook pages are one of these options because everyone is using a personal profile to leave a review. But if you want to use something like this on your website or blog, make a commenting or forum style review page where people can make a community. Commenting and discussing alongside you what is bothering or impressing them.
This will actually help you to create an active community!
One idea is to have a live online session with customers. Let them ask you questions and answer in real time. Share the event and benefit of supporters comments which will help you solve other customer’s issues.
Never forget
The main principle here is BE HUMAN. Be a real friend, everyone can forgive a mistake but a lie or deception leaves a hard to erase feeling of mistrust. Follow the golden rule — Treat your clients as you want to be treated by others.
Keep it real and always be open and honest!
Best regards,
Scaleforce.io team
