How do you get more out of your customers?
How do you get them to stick around and buy from you over and over again?
How do you get them to spread the word about your business without even asking them too?
You need to speak out publicly and often and ask for feedback.
When you speak publicly to present customers or potential customers you are forming a relationship with them. It may be quite a few times before they even recognize who you are and what you are selling, but if you speak often enough your customers will start to recognize you as an authority in your industry.
Sooner or later they are going to search more about you and discover that they may need what you are offering. That is where social media is great to get recognized and get your message to many people, but blogging is better to have people learn more about you and get to know you more personally.
Every business should have a blog and post everyday. It develops a relationship and gives you the opportunity to tell the world about your products and services as well as ask for feedback and establish exactly what it is your customers want.
The more you post and correspond publicly with your target audience the more trust and credibility you will build so when it comes time to use your products or services, your customers are dealing with a trusted friend or company that they feel they have an attachment to and a relationship with.
This breaks a lot of the barriers and fears that customers have when making a buying decision and goes straight for the sale.
Not only that, when they are in conversation with theirs friends and family and the topic of your products and services arise, they become the best sales people you could ever hire. There is no better sale than a word of mouth recommendation. It bypasses all the questions as they are making the buying decision based on the trust and recommendation of a friend rather than a company.
So, get into the hang of speaking out publically about your products and services. Try and engage your customers somehow and get their feedback about you and your company and products, then take the information and give your customers exactly what they want. This will set you apart from your competition and set you up as a leader in your industry with a trusted following.
When you are developing a relationship, you should also be asking them for a way to reach them again. This can be through email, newsletter or direct mail. That way you can reward them for giving you feedback.
One if the biggest mistakes people make in business is not testing to see what works. They are essentially working by trial and error. Most times businesses are leaving a ton of money on the table when they could be grabbing it all by finding out what works and what doesn’t by surveying their customers and getting an accurate response.
Find a way to communicate regularly with your customers and get their feedback as often as possible too.