In this day and age, consumers are continuously bombarded with information and solicitations, and businesses choosing not to engage their customers (both existing and potential) can easily get lost in the shuffle. By now, you’re probably aware that the right CRM can do wonders for almost any small- or medium-sized business.
But you’re not just any small or medium business, are you? You understand that managing reputation is just as essential as managing relationships. Your brand’s got staying power and your business most certainly has what it takes to outshine the competition. You value your customers and you’ve got exactly what they need. So let’s show it. Because better customer service always wins out—even over price.
Keep Track of Interactions
Consumers are constantly connected nowadays, and it’s almost a crime not to use all the information they volunteer to create a customized experience for them. People want to feel like the decisions they make matter. Make customers feel special… because if they feel like just another number, they won’t be around for long. For example…
Let’s say you’re a consumer who’s expecting a new baby, and you’ve signed up for email newsletters to receive coupons and tips you can use through pregnancy, baby prep and beyond. The company asks for the baby’s due date and other info, and you oblige. But, six months after your baby arrives, instead of getting tips on solid foods and coupons for teething toys, you get content about pregnancy or how to cope during your first nights home with a newborn. You’ve even already purchased a crib from this company, but you’re still receiving email reminders to do so, with urgent exhortations to ‘Act Now!’
The company above didn’t note you’d already made that purchase and are in need of other (obvious) things. You’d probably unsubscribe and look elsewhere for what you need, since they’ve shown they don’t care about you as a consumer. You don’t want your customers feeling like that, do you? Good. Because it can be prevented.
Your CRM software should allow you to track customer interactions so you can review every touch point, every piece of communication sent out or received, and every purchase, making sure your interactions and content are relevant and timely. You may also want to employ a rapid response model so your customers know you’ve got their interests at heart.
Inspire Employee Engagement and Humanize Your Brand
One way to boost business is to create a relatable brand. You can do this by getting to the heart of what keeps your business going: Your employees. Who are they? What do they value?
Chances are, your target market relates, so try letting them in. This is where effective storytelling comes into play. You need to be completely sure you know what your market values so your story doesn’t fall on deaf ears and cost you potential customers. If you still have any doubts, do some research (formal or otherwise) to figure out a direction. Just be honest and sincere–they’ll love you.
Get Social
People can tell the difference between a sales pitch and genuine interaction, so once you’ve humanized your brand, figure out the best social media platform for your customers and start engaging.
You may want to do this by sharing coupons or deals, posing questions or asking for opinions, sharing stories, or interact using with a mix of all of the above. Create a CRM strategy and guidelines to help you put some relevant content out on your socials. For example, Tuesday could be the day to push your special for the week, while Fridays feature a client or employee and Saturdays are for conducting contests or giveaways.
The right social media presence will garner trust, respect and brand loyalty, while a bad presence can simply lead to rejection. So don’t just start conversations—engage in them. It’ll remind your customers in a subtle way that you’re still there, and help you create repeat customers so you don’t have to spend all your time securing new ones. After all, it’s not only easier to keep current customers, it’s better for your bottom line, too.
Manage your Online Reputation
Engaging customers (and the general public) online can open the door to some negativity, so the trick is protecting your brand as if the company’s life depended on it–because it does–and remaining respected and likeable in your market and your field.
The same social media strategy you created earlier should now include a plan of action for unfavorable comments or unexpected jabs. You could have a rule about responding within, say, six hours to anyone who’s voiced a concern.
Customer had a negative experience? Acknowledge it, let them know you can be better than that, and then offer to prove it (mentions of compensation or the like should be done privately, of course). The key here is to not be too controlling or rigid.
The opinions, perceptions and experiences of the public are important, but always be sure to stand by what your brand is at its core. Taking into account what your public values and asking, “Is this how I want my business to be remembered?” may take some time, but it could help you avoid a social media fail. You can delete a tweet, comment or post, but once it’s on the Internet, it’s out there forever, so always operate in a way your customers and the general public will respect.
Using CRM to improve your customer service and create a solid brand really is worth the work involved. Show customers that your business is a solid one that’s there to grow with them as they grow, and roll with the same punches they do in this ever-changing digital world.
Try out Insightly CRM by signing up for a 14-day free trial.
