Relationships, an ingredient to small business success.
People are the backbone of every business; in fact, they are the reason your business exists. At Triift Africa we recognize businesses as communities that cannot thrive by their own strength and need the right stakeholders if any real progress must happen.
Trust: The new currency for business transactions.
A former lecturer gave a speech at an event and explained what it means to make friends before you need them; it made perfect sense so I’ll let you in on it. It’s always easier to request a favor from someone you are more familiar with because your friendship with them in the past has helped increase the level of trust they have in you. If you are in business you should get ready to meet, engage with people, provide value and nurture them before you go ahead to pitch your business to them.
You need to be there for them before they can become ambassadors of your business. Customers want transparency and trust in the companies and people they purchase from. Building a network cannot be done in a rush, you shouldn’t start acting like you care about your clients because you want to make sales, they will smell deceit and turn their back against you, you can’t fake being human, your real intentions always pops out.
“Keep in touch with past clients because it will come to a point where they need your product or service again but won’t remember how to get in touch with you. Don’t spend more time in front of your computer screen than in front of your prospect. Start small and work your way up”. — Stephan Schiffman.
You should read this: Win New Customers, Then Keep Them.
During a conversation with a friend, he mentioned his plan to start a fashion business and his fear of implementing his idea because he is an introvert. According to him, his basic concerns are: (1). Not knowing how to go about publicizing his new fashion trends since he is shy and doesn’t like meeting new people. (2). Needing to work with professionals like, tailors, models, and photographers but not being satisfied with their input because they might not deliver to his expectations. (3). He is not good at giving updates or carrying people along. In his confused state, he jokingly said he might just have to be his model and photographer. There are so many small business owners with similar fears and concerns; networking and building beneficial relationships do not happen overnight, you have to break out of your shell before you can evolve.
It is people we know the least well who will be the most transformative. New things almost always come from outside your inner circle- Med Jay, PhD.
This twitter post on how teachers can build relationships with day 1 kids can be likened to how small business owners could build relationships with first time customers so as to get them running back to you on day 2.
https://twitter.com/thomascmurray/status/1157638458300600320?s=19
You should read, Tips for great customer experience for your small business.
Getting started with building relationships.
Triift Africa cares about businesses and their sustainability that’s why we have carefully put together these tips to help you build new and maintain already existing relationships.
01. Relationship is a two-way activity.
When you extend a hand of service to someone for your business, over time they get to trust and rely on your business for solutions. Don’t just be a receiver, be a giver, an investor and watch people get confident in your services/products.
02. Attend networking events with an open mind.
This is an avenue to interact with people. However, at this kind of events, don’t be the chatterbox, listen to what people say about your business, industry and competitors. The act of listening helps you pick up both verbal and non-verbal communication cues from people about your business or personality; be eager to understand and not just give replies.
03. Go Step by Step, don’t jump the queue.
Avoid rushing, pestering or forcing people to relate with you else they’ll think you have ulterior motives and will begin to feel insecure around you. Do not jump the line; follow the process and nurture your prospects.
Closing is not an action. It is the end result of a valuable process. — Sasha Poljak, Ximble.
04. Grease your referral engine.
If you refer someone to a business owner or someone in your network, encourage them to mention your name as the referrer; this is a simple way to sow seeds which will yield great fruits if the relationship is continually watered by both parties.
05. Feedback is essential to building relationships.
Learn to stop to ask people questions like, ‘How can I help you? What areas would you like my business to improve on?’ Meg Jay, PhD makes us understand that positive feedback would give an opportunity to feel better and negative feedback would give the chance to do better. Feedback is essential to building relationships.
06. Treat Customers Right.
Every customer should be treated with dignity rather than making one feel inferior because he is unable to purchase as much as another client.
07. Make CRM work for you.
You should try engaging customer relationship management tools like: Hubspot, InfusionSoft, Zoho or Freshsales to keep track of your customer’s data, interaction, product/service preference, and other personal detail. I bet you feel valued when your bank sends you a wish on your birthday; you can do something similar for your clients. Healthy relationships are built through the little things you do and call insignificant.
08. CARE, it’s the least you can do.
Carry out Corporate Social Responsibility projects for your immediate community, give out discounts and promotional offers. Humanize every aspect of your business.
09. Doesn’t hurt to say Thank You.
Appreciation is crucial. Show gratitude to people who have been instrumental to the growth or progress of your business; people always love to be acknowledged. Your business is nothing without people, appreciating them is the only way to increasingly make them feel like a part of your business.
At Triift Africa, small businesses are our business and we are here to always provide lasting solutions to issues bordering around finance, customer service, management and loans. Register for our next Business finance class here. You can also link up with us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
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