3 tips for increasing your customer base

If you want your company to be successful, you will need to place great value on developing lifetime relationships with your customers.In today's competitive marketplace, you are probably well aware of the fact that your customers are also being aggressively prospected by your competitors and thus, your customers' loyalty cannot be taken for granted.

Your company must be customer focused, and to do so, you must recognize that relationship building, communication and customer service are all critical in increasing your customer base and retaining those customers.Here are three tips for increasing your customer base.

1. Get to know your customer.Here are a few tips for getting to know your customers.
- Determine what you need to know. For example, what do they like or dislike about your product or service? How do they feel about the way your company handles complaints? Are they repeat customers? Why or why not?
- Use one or more survey methods to measure customer satisfaction, such as direct mail, telephone calls, or focus groups (groups of 6-10 people who share their ideas about your product or service).
- Hire an outside market research firm to develop questions and interpret findings, unless you have an experienced person in-house.
- Have employees keep ongoing written records of customer compliments and complaints. Review these at staff meetings.
- Once you know what your customers want, make the adjustments and improvements necessary to keep them coming back.

2. Communicate effectively. You have access to innovative tools such as the Internet, cell phones, faxes and voice mail, and all are designed to enhance our ability to communicate. Nevertheless, even with all of these technological tools at our disposal, there are many dissatisfied customers, lost sales and failed relationships, all due to the fact that there is general lack of communication skills in the marketplace.

Try to understand where your customer is coming from.Strive to create a favorable first impression and build rapport quickly by using open body language such as smiling, eye contact, keeping your arms unfolded and your legs uncrossed.

Also, try to improve your active listening skills.To develop and encourage conversation, use open-ended questions to probe the meaning behind your prospect's statements.Occasionally repeat your prospect's key words or phrase back to them as a subconscious way of agreeing with them.Doing so will also clarify communication and build rapport. Keep your attention focused on what your customer is saying and avoid the temptation to interrupt, argue or dominate the conversation.

3. Offer outstanding customer service.Rendering quality customer service is both a responsibility and an opportunity.Studies show that the top two customer complaints with regards to customer service are 1) unreturned phone calls and 2) a failure to keep promises and commitments.Make an effort to see yourself through your customers' eyes. True customer service is meeting and surpassing your customers' expectations.Here are five powerful customer service tips.
- Under-promise and over-deliver. Develop a reputation for reliability by never making a promise that you can't keep.
- Pay attention to the small things. Get in the habit of returning phone calls, e-mails and other correspondence quickly.
- Stay in contact and keep good records. Take the time to jot down notes from meetings and phone calls making certain to record all relevant information.Also, maintain a written record of service.Personalize your service by setting up a system to track important contact dates such as client review calls and birthdays.Consider sending a personal note or an article of interest every six months.
- Give your customers promotional gifts. Consider sending them a letter opener, coffee mug or a calendar with your logo and contact information.
- Establish a feedback system to monitor how your customers perceive the quality of service you provide.Service is not defined by what you think it is, but rather how your customers perceive its value.

In summary, to grow your company, it is important that you constantly be marketing for new customers.You can do so by following these three tips for increasing your customer base.