How to win customers and influence loyalty: Part II of IV
By Adam
February 22, 2010
Small Business & Entrepreneurship
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By Donna Marrin
As illustrated in Dale Carnegie’s Winning Friends and Influencing People, and Robert Fulghum’s All I Really Need To Know, I Learned In Kindergarten, there is a basic formula for dealing with people that guarantees positive results: the degree of effort we invest in relationship-building with potential customers dictates the degree of loyalty they will return. One plus two equals three. The formula comprises one part basic psychology and one part common sense, yet relationship-building is one of the first areas to be neglected when we become consumed with the many other levels of multi-tasking required for running a business.
So many business owners forget the fact that making a sale is a bonus, not the ultimate reward—if you look at the big picture. Winning customer loyalty by ensuring they will want to deal exclusively with your business is a victory well worth capturing.
Consider your own experiences as a customer in the marketplace. What will convince you to choose one particular supplier over all the other similar suppliers out there? When a new competitor appears with a better offer, what action has your favored supplier taken to establish your loyalty? What past examples of customer service have driven you to sing praises about a particular business to your friends and associates?
Think back to those businesses that stand out positively in your mind. What did they do that made them shine?
The methods that these businesses used to attract and capture your interest are the same techniques that you can use to attract customers to your business services or products and engage their loyalty for the long haul.
Human nature is such that all people desire courteous, genuine customer service that works hard to accommodate their needs when and where they decide to spend their hard-earned money. Studies have shown that people are even willing to pay more for a product or service in return for white-glove treatment. Every human being has a need to feel special.
Be creative in your presentation to your customers. Try to think of ideas that your competitors haven’t considered. What unique approaches can you come up with that will make your customers feel truly good about spending their money on your services or products?
Visit tomorrow for Part III of this four-part series, where I’ll share the first of six valuable tips for winning customers and influencing loyalty.
Donna Marrin is a freelance Senior Writer/Editor specializing in corporate communications and advertising. She also founded and runs the Markham Village Writers. You can visit their website at www.markhamvillagewriters.com
As illustrated in Dale Carnegie’s Winning Friends and Influencing People, and Robert Fulghum’s All I Really Need To Know, I Learned In Kindergarten, there is a basic formula for dealing with people that guarantees positive results: the degree of effort we invest in relationship-building with potential customers dictates the degree of loyalty they will return. One plus two equals three. The formula comprises one part basic psychology and one part common sense, yet relationship-building is one of the first areas to be neglected when we become consumed with the many other levels of multi-tasking required for running a business.
So many business owners forget the fact that making a sale is a bonus, not the ultimate reward—if you look at the big picture. Winning customer loyalty by ensuring they will want to deal exclusively with your business is a victory well worth capturing.
Consider your own experiences as a customer in the marketplace. What will convince you to choose one particular supplier over all the other similar suppliers out there? When a new competitor appears with a better offer, what action has your favored supplier taken to establish your loyalty? What past examples of customer service have driven you to sing praises about a particular business to your friends and associates?
Think back to those businesses that stand out positively in your mind. What did they do that made them shine?
The methods that these businesses used to attract and capture your interest are the same techniques that you can use to attract customers to your business services or products and engage their loyalty for the long haul.
Human nature is such that all people desire courteous, genuine customer service that works hard to accommodate their needs when and where they decide to spend their hard-earned money. Studies have shown that people are even willing to pay more for a product or service in return for white-glove treatment. Every human being has a need to feel special.
Be creative in your presentation to your customers. Try to think of ideas that your competitors haven’t considered. What unique approaches can you come up with that will make your customers feel truly good about spending their money on your services or products?
Visit tomorrow for Part III of this four-part series, where I’ll share the first of six valuable tips for winning customers and influencing loyalty.
Donna Marrin is a freelance Senior Writer/Editor specializing in corporate communications and advertising. She also founded and runs the Markham Village Writers. You can visit their website at www.markhamvillagewriters.com