Communication is a vital aspect of all business, particularly when it comes to dealing with your customers and clients. We live in an age when people want information and answers immediately so it’s essential to have platforms in place that will allow for instant and simple communication. Customers are the lifeblood of your business, and it pays to put a little more time and energy into the methods that you will use to build up a relationship with them. In these troubled economic times, you need to take any step you can to deal with the predicted upcoming recession and stay afloat in these unchartered waters. With this in mind, let’s consider a few modern and effective ways of communicating with customers.
* Tools for chatting. In 2022, a staggering seventy per cent of customers opted in when given the option to receive texts from businesses. Sixty-one per cent agreed that they would like to have the ability to text a business back. Clearly, a preferred way to communicate these days is through texting. Recent studies suggest that business messaging is becoming a growing trend and if you don’t offer messaging options, you’re going to get left behind as the competition surges ahead. There are several platforms that allow for the compilation of various messaging services into one central and extremely useful hub. Many messaging services allow you to send customizable instant responses to assure the sender that you will address their questions as soon as an agent is available. With these accessible ways to converse, you’re more likely to catch leads and develop them into viable contacts. When you take communication seriously, your customer will grow in their trust in you.
* Live receptionists. This is a great way of developing an answering service after hours. With a system like this in place, you’ll never miss a customer call, regardless of when they ring. Many people can only make calls outside of office hours due to their own work and life commitments so opening up the option to call at any time will extend the invitation to chat to a whole new audience at a time that’s convenient for them. Live receptionists will be able to take the call right away, meaning the leads won’t become frustrated and end up calling a competitor. The receptionist will be able to handle the call and record the relevant information to be followed up.
* Promotions and campaigns. Remember that good communication works two ways. Not only do you need to be prepared for customers and leads to contact you, but you also need to take the initiative to reach out to them too. You can drive loyalty and develop trust with promotions and campaigns – these can be distributed in a variety of ways, including email, text or even letter. If you’re struggling to know where to start, there are many templates available to give you a head start, and you can track the success of your campaign with various technological tools.
The tools for successful communication interaction go beyond the technological and digital – they also involve your emotional skills and etiquette too. What qualities do you need to show to improve your relationship with customers and leads? Let’s consider a few:
* Gratitude: the quality of being thankful along with the readiness to show appreciation and return kindness.
There is no successful relationship without gratitude. A friendship with someone who never showed appreciation for what you did would not last very long. You need to make sure your customers feel special, greeting them and dealing with them in a kind and grateful way. This isn’t just for the customers who make a purchase – when you treat even just potential clients with the same gratitude, they will remember the interaction in a positive light.
* Empathy: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person.
Often empathy is a quality that needs to be learned over time, not a skill that can be acquired quickly. This quality is most useful, and most put to the test, when dealing with customer complaints and issues. In a perfect world, every customer would be happy and satisfied but that’s not a realistic goal to have. There will be causes for upset and the best way to deal with these situations is to be apologetic and understand. Show that their feelings are being taken seriously. You also show empathy when you ask for customer feedback as it makes the customer feel heard, and that their concerns will be considered.
* Creativity: the use of imagination or original ideas to create something and show inventiveness.
Modern innovations in the field of technology have uncovered new and exciting ways of interacting with customers. This means you have a whole new area of the digital customer experience to consider. The ability to keep up to date and relevant will be the thing that helps your businesses to survive and thrive. No business, within any industry, can become complacent when it comes to making the needed changes to keep up with the digital age. It’s never too late to make these changes so don’t be fooled into thinking you’re stuck in the past and there’s nothing you can do to modernise your business.
The Bottom Line
Customer relationships are bridges that need constant maintenance in order to support the sales you need to continue as a business. With the right communication tools, you can implement a variety of methods that will open the doors of conversation to all of your customers, regardless of their preferences. In this instant age, you want to have all the tools at your disposal to deal with leads and customers in a prompt, yet personal, manner. Do your research, ask the professionals, and build a foundation of communication that will last you and your business well into the future. Stay competitive, stay relevant and stay profitable by modernising your communication methods.
