The truth about customer relationships

If you want your small business to remain healthy for many years, you need to focus on building customer relationships with them. Small businesses in particular need to focus on keeping their customers happy and keeping them for many years to come. This is because over 80% of your sales will come from your existing customers. So instead of wasting too much time and money searching for new customers, you need to set aside the money to keep your existing customers happy and returning for more. This article will guide you through the process of making strong customer relationships and keeping your customers satisfied for many years to come.

Step # 1 - Understand the different customers you have
The best customers to work with are going to be those that can afford to pay you in a timely manner. These customers have the ability to reach you in a number of different ways and they truly enjoy working with your business. You know that when you send a marketing piece to them, they will call and order from your business. In essence these long-term customers are the insurance policy you need to keep your business from failing. They trust in your brand and they trust in your businesses ability to serve them with quality products and keep them happy. You must have a good relationship with them that involves replacing broken products and providing customer support so they can continue to trust in your business.

In addition to your long-term customers, you will have some customers that believe in your brand but don't always purchase your products. Your relationship with these customers can sometimes become a little rocky at times because they don't always pay on time. This causes you to neglect them and not offer them the same customer service as your long-term customers. While they may not be your most reliable customers, you still need to focus on building relationships with them or you risk damaging your reputation. These customers almost always provide negative reviews, which can give prospective customers a bad taste in their mouth about your business before you even get a chance to explain your business to them.

Step # 2 - Market correctly
When it comes to strengthening customer relationships, you need to figure out how to market correctly to each customer. To your bread and butter customers, be sure to offer them the best discounts and service. They are there for your business no matter what so you need to treat them like gold. Offer promotions to your other customers that will get them to try out your business again and then sell them on the business with your strong customer service skills. If they have a positive interaction with your company again, they are likely to come back for more and they will spread the word about your business to other prospective customers.

Step # 3 - Become friendly and give your customers options
The best way to help your customers have a good experience with your company is to offer excellent customer service. This means you may need to set up payment plans, offer a return policy, and work on pleasing the customer no matter what. The customer must always think they are right, even if they aren't. when it comes to purchasing products from your company, the customer must have several options. Set up an e-commerce site so they can have access to your business after-hours. Make your website user friendly to make it easier for the customer to find exactly what they are searching for. Give them several options to reach your business and you will be able to strengthen your relationship with them.