Jun

Four Tips For Building Customer Relationships

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Building, customer, Four, Relationships, Tips

Four Tips For Building Customer Relationships

One of the biggest reasons why many businesses fail is that they fail to build long lasting relationships with their customers. It is not enough to just sell to a customer; it is imperative that you make him come back to you again and again, and perhaps even recommend friends and family members. The cornerstone of developing a strong relationship with a customer is good customer service and networking. Here are a few tips to implement them in your business:

1. Take your business online, if you haven’t already done so. In this day and age, if you aren’t online, you are missing out on a huge chunk of customers. But it is not enough to just have a boring, static site. You must show people the personal side of your business (remember the old maxim: people buy from other people, not companies). A blog about your business, or the people behind it can be a great way to reach out and communicate with prospective clients.

2. In the same vein, get a profile on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Make sure that you’re listed on Yelp, CitySearch and Google Maps. These are the new avenues of discovery and communication. Keep your Twitter and Facebook accounts updated with the latest happenings in your business. This is another way of letting people know that you are a real company with real people behind it, not some brainless borg.

3. Respond to customer queries as quickly as possible. I have a rule of the thumb with email: if I can respond to it within 2 minutes, I will reply back immediately. Never keep email hanging around for later, and never hold support queries longer than they should. Your customers will appreciate the fast service and this single factor alone can make the difference between a regular and a one-time customer.

4. Invest in people who are good at dealing with people, especially your sales staff. Too many times I’ve come across a store that had rude or indifferent staff. I’ve made it a point to never go back there again. One of my favorite stores not only sells amazing stuff (its a bakery), but also has some great people behind the counter that greet me enthusiastically, never fail to give me exactly what I want, and are always good for a friendly word. If you can find people like this, hang on to them, no matter what.