Are you committed to your customer service? I know that you are committed to your customers. As in, getting customers and giving them the products they ordered or the services you said that you would provide, but are you committed to the actual level of service that you are providing them? Are you worried about customer loyalty, service and customer success. That only happens when you are laser focused on customer retention.
I think that in every message I use the term Brand Advocate. You will never have a Brand Advocate but less Advocates if you do not focus on retaining that client. If you have them buy the product and let them slip through the bottom cracks because you are focused on creating new promotions to get more foot traffic, you are losing money.
So let’s dive right in, how can you wow your customer? How can you make that customer feel like they got more than a product or service from your brand? I really truly believe there are 4 ways you can go about wowing an audience.
The first way. Worrying about wowing and over-delivering separates you from your competitor. Your competitor is probably giving good service. They are probably providing a quality product for a reasonable price. It is to be expected. You want to give them and over-deliver that they never expected! Give them something that goes above and beyond. With every day passing your market is more and more saturated. There are more people out there in your niche. How are you going to stand out, not only to new customers but keep your current customers from looking in different directions.
Number two. Doing extras, no matter how big or small, lets your customers know how you appreciate them. It’s about making sure your clients and customers know that you appreciate them. That is what turns customers that buy one item into a loyal customer.
The third is referrals. Is what you are creating referable? Will the customer not only use it but will they rave to their friends, family, co-workers, gas station attendants about it. If a customer has a great experience or a terrible experience with a company they are far more likely to tell someone than someone who has a mediocre experience. Obviously, that terrible experience is not a possibility with your product or service so we want to get out of that mediocre phase and into the wow phase that they will tell everyone about.
Lastly, this going above and beyond and over delivering helps you justify your price point. You know your worth but your customers will want to pay less. Whether you are premium pricing or budget pricing your price is your price. You do not create it for what your clients can afford, you have created it for what value you bring. Deliver that value and more. Make sure they believe in that value and see the results they are expecting and more. Which reminds me, at some point you can create your pricing point at premium. You can make it high-end and when you get there you over-delivers will be bigger because you can build them into your price. They will be free product or add on specials. Until then, be creative. Buy in bulk for add-ons and splurge on the fancy packaging. That will stand out.
Now. Let’s dig even deeper. Let’s say you are having a promotion. You are gearing up for a fall promotion and you want to really wow the customers with your new products and new services. There are three ways to really hook ‘em and reel ‘em. Before the sale, during the sale and after the sale.
BEFORE THE SALE
This is when most Brands are hitting it hard. They will make promises and bring out the big guns for the advertisements. They want you (the customer) to know this is where you should be spending your money and where to go for your pain points and struggles. Brands spend a lot of money on a before the sale campaign. Once these companies have you on the hook there is no more promoting to you, no more promises and they are on to the next customer they are trying to reel in. Your customers will feel tricked and failed by you and your brand if this is how you decide to market. So, yes, obviously you should market and brand before the sale or promotion of any service or product. Hit it hard and have a huge reach. However, you cannot stop the promoting there.
Now how do you take that before the sale hype and continue it during the sale? When I say during the sale, I mean when they are a current client. When they have bought a product or they are using your consulting agency or your services you are providing. When someone is a potential client we want to go above and beyond and show them our wows and how great we are, right. I mean I hope you are with me on this. Now we have to go from what have we been doing to get this client in the door to how to keep this client as happy as we can.
DURING THE SALE
We have all heard it before, it is so much more expensive to sign a new client than it is to keep an existing client. Selling and upselliing your current clients is really where you are making your true income. Here is what you need to sit down and write out who is currently in your client bucket? What do they need? What would they love? What can I offer them within my talent base and Brand base that would excite them. These current clients already love you or they would be gone. Your over-delivery and wows have made your brand a working asset for them. Now it’s time to show them what else you can do. If you have done your job with the Wows and your job and expectations this should not be a hard sale. This should be a conversation that is something that they need and you can provide it because you have built a strong connection and a trusting relationship with them.
If they are brand new clients and want to start off with a great experience right from the start (Which is really the only way to go about running a business) you need to start off with the first impression. The moment they get a confirmation of purchase in their mailbox or sign up for a members only page on your site, you need to reach out to them. Whether it is a thank you video or a personal thank you from you. It needs to be something that singles them out as a person and not a number in your company. Do not create an automated thank you for clients. Make it clear that you know what they purchased, you care about them as a client and their needs and you are a person and not just a brand. Let me remind you, this over-delivery is FREE. It costs exactly zero dollars to send an email and it will be greatly appreciated.
AFTER THE SALE
Follow up, follow up, follow up… No, do not become obsessed with getting them back as clients. However, when I have clients leave it is always on great terms. I, sometimes, have clients that come on board with me for just a few months to get the lay of the land and learn as they are starting out on their business. I always have an exit zoom call and give them a plan to go forward with. I also tell them my email and ear is always open if they have any questions and I would love to chat with them soon. I also have clients that were not necessarily in the place to need me yet when they found me. They were not financially or ready to have their brand larger than what it is. However, I stayed in contact as a “free coach” and gave them tips and tricks and when I thought it was appropriate. One day, they decided the time was right and they took the leap of faith.
The amount of sales that happen the moment they see your brand is extremely small. Think of all the shopping carts you have filled up on all different websites and never pulled the trigger on. They have you in their back pocket but they aren’t ready yet. However, you cannot stop marketing to them. Reach out and let them know you are still thinking about them. Remind them when you have a great information post that you think they will appreciate. Never stop selling to those who did not click buy that minute. Their time will come but it is your job to remind them that you exist.
This was a long post but I wanted to say so much about this! Thanks for sticking with me through it! I would love to help you guys out! I offer FREE 30 minute zoom calls right now. I give you the tips and tricks of the trade and you can ask me questions about your brand and social media! Check out my schedule here or email me!
Thanks!
Jana
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