Are you running a small business? Are you searching for ways to increase your audience reach? Then you may want to revisit your customer communications.
Customer communication is like your bridge to your target market. It deals with the where, why, and how you connect with your customers. For better communication, it’s great to use chat software like Messagely. A poor communication strategy can lead to disastrous repercussions for your business.’
But how exactly does a business communicate effectively with its audience? Continue reading below for some of the most powerful customer communication tips you should start following today.
1. Create Educational and Entertaining Content
One of the first aspects of improving your customer communication is your content. By content, we mean everything that you post on your website, social media accounts, emails, and SMS.
You want to make your content educational and entertaining at the same time. Your content should effectively answer all questions of your clients. They should minimize, if not eliminate all confusion regarding your products.
If you want to explain how your products work, your best bet is through videos. Here, you can explain how your products work, how to assemble them, and how they can benefit your customers.
Since you want to capture people’s attention, you need to make your videos entertaining and engaging.
To accompany your videos, you can also come up with blogs. Use your blogs to boost your company’s search engine optimization (SEO) strategies. This will help your website rank higher on Google’s page 1.
2. Develop Active Listening
Always remember that customer communications are a two-way street. Your business
will not take off if it’s always you that does all the communicating. Hence, learn to develop active listening. This means paying attention to what your customers are trying to tell you.
When dealing with customers, focus on them instead of you. Allow your clients to finish talking. If they say something unclear, don’t hesitate to ask clarifying questions.
Also, learn how to empathize with your customers. Empathy is looking at the situation in the eyes of the customers. In turn, empathy allows you to get a better understanding of where they’re coming from.
Furthermore, you need to reassure your customers especially now that there is a pandemic. People tend to feel anxious because of the pandemic. Hence, if there are major operational changes taking place, explain these changes thoroughly.
If the changes are drastic, consider their impact on your clients’ welfare. Your goal is to make life easier for your customers.
Lastly, learn how to close the conversation accordingly. End it with a quick summary of what you talked about. This ensures that both parties are on the same page.
3. Practice Positive Language
If you think that using a polite tone is enough to take your business to the next level, then you better think again. Whenever clients call you for an inquiry or complaint, make sure to use positive language.
Using positive language reduces the stress your clients may be going through. It also helps sort out the confusion. It lets you address your customers’ concerns effectively.
The key is to choose the right verbs and use them in a positive tone. Instead of saying “don’t turn the right knob,” rephrase it into “turning the left knob is the right way to make it work.”
Furthermore, maintain a cool and calm demeanor. This is crucial especially when talking to an irate customer. Staying calm and friendly will help defuse the tension.
4. Make Your Conversations More “Human”
Though you can automate some of your email responses in some instances, nothing beats a real and authentic conversation. Thus, focus on humanizing your customer conversations. This means using a natural conversational language that aligns with how your clients feel at the moment.
Doing so will yield a more relaxed conversation. It will also send a message that you are true, authentic, and transparent in your transactions.
5. Know Your Product Like the Back of Your Hand
No matter how good your people may be in selling, wise customers can tell how well you know your product. If you want people to understand and appreciate your products, you need to know what you’re selling like the back of your hand.
Your sales force should have a deep understanding of your products. They should be able to address all concerns about your items. If you’re selling mechanical items, you and your staff should know how to troubleshoot.
Furthermore, stay on top of your customers’ feedback. When they send you emails and messages on social media, do your best to respond ASAP.
6. Use Automation Wisely
Though humanizing your conversations is paramount, there are times wherein automation translates to more productivity. Automation works when you already have a massive client base.
With hundreds of inquiries coming in daily, the questions can overwhelm small businesses. Through automated responses, you can address clients’ concerns faster.
However, keep in mind that personalization is still king. Automation works best when answering simple and straightforward questions. But for tackling complex concerns, customers will appreciate talking to real persons instead of chatbots.
7. Build Customer Loyalty
Last but not least, develop customer loyalty by offering special deals. This will increase your bottom line by keeping your existing customers happy. Studies reveal that existing customers tend to spend more compared to new customers.
To keep them loyal to your brand, give them extra perks like special discounts. Launch some seasonal promos that are exclusive to your older clients.
Moreover, give them flexible payment plans. This will encourage them to buy more items.
Additionally, provide top-notch customer service. Respond to their inquiries fast. Resolve their concerns with friendliness and clarity.
Go Beyond Customer Communications
By getting your customer communications right, you can broaden your market reach faster. You can also generate new leads that you can turn into conversions. But communicating with your market is only one of the many ways to grow your business.
We invite you to check our other business articles. We discuss tips and solutions that will help grow your business the right way.