In recent weeks I’ve had several conversations with clients and prospects that are looking to build stronger relationships with their target customers. They recognise that, in the end, it is the quality and strength of a company’s relationship with their customers that drives their growth and profitability. After all, your competitors may be able to emulate your products and services, but they find it much harder to copy your relationships.
Let’s take it on trust that your products and services are great, and that they’re competitively priced, and put these elements to one side. Now, why would your target customers choose to do business with you?
Here are some of the ideas to strengthen these relationships that I’ve been discussing with my clients, over and above the offer of great products and service:
- Creating on-line videos showing customers how to get the most out of the products and services on offer.
- For B2B businesses, providing tools and resources to help their customers grow revenues and profits.
- Developing communities of users who are able to share information and ideas, and promote best practice.
- Introducing a series of special events to bring customers together as a learning experience or as a chance for new customers to try and sample your products.
- For selected customers, providing higher levels of support and service, so that they get the most out of your products and services.
- Providing add-on services and consumables to the core product offer, to strengthen the relationship, improve the experience and deliver broader solutions.
What have you done in the last six months, for example, that has dramatically improved your customers’ level of engagement with you, their level of delight with your offer, and their level of spend with your business?
And what are you going to do in the next six months?
© Stuart Cross 2011. All rights reserved.