Five Ways to Make Your Clients Smile
Everybody has happy clients and everybody has those good-for-nothing ones that aren’t even worth the clothes that they wear. You know who I’m talking about! That good for nothing John Doe who spends $100 and expects over five times that value in return.
Forget John Doe, clients like him will never be happy. Instead, do your best to ensure your other customers are left smiling at the end of the day.
How do you do that? Here are five things that you can do for your customers to ensure the loyalty that you deserve:
- Listen to their Needs - You won’t be able to provide everything that people want if you don’t even know what they’re looking for. Most people have a few specific things that they are looking for in a provider, make sure that you know what it is they want - and then deliver!
- Customize Your Services - Everybody likes to know that they are special. If possible, offer enough options to your clients that they will actually feel like they are in control. If you’re a photographer, make everything an option. Obviously you’ll always stick to your hourly wage, but some people will want tons of prints while others will just want everything on CD. I know, I know…the money is in the prints. But if they don’t want them, don’t make them take it. Instead, charge them whatever you want for the CD (the value, not the cost) to make everybody happy.
- Be Trustworthy - Do you know why the big companies get bigger while many small businesses struggle to grow? It’s all about trust. I know the value that I’m going to get when I buy a Chevy Truck, McDonalds burger, Apple iPod, Dell computer, etc. I trust that I’m getting a good deal. Trust is one of the biggest deciding factors in the average customer’s mind. Appeal to it!
- Be Personable - If you’re a small business owner, it might be more difficult for you to establish the trust factor than if you owned a multi-million dollar corporation, but you have the edge when it comes to personality. Make it so that you offer something that your clients can’t get elsewhere: a joke, a smile, a friendship, and a quality of service that is second to none. Don’t always worry about selling your product - there are thousands of products just like yours - instead, sell yourself!
- Over Deliver - The best way to create loyal customers is to consistently over deliver. Overwaitea, a grocery store in Canada, made a name for themselves (literally) by giving their customers more than they had expected. Robert C. Kidd, the owner of a small-time grocery outlet, developed innovative selling techniques that had clients hooked. He implemented an odd-penny pricing structure while also selling 18 ounces of tea for the price of a pound. Well, his value was noted and his store was soon known as the “over-weight tea” store. The company has since joined up with Save-On-Foods to become a supermarket giant in the great white north.
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