Customers are all looking for the same thing: whatever is easiest for them. Customers don't want to expend any more effort than they have to, and they definitely don't want to waste time and money. They are looking for the easiest option in terms of convenience, cost, dependability, value, and customer support. As a small business owner, it is your job to present yourself as the easiest, simplest option. If you do this well,customers will see your company as a done deal, a given, a no-brainer. Here are 5 small business tips to guarantee that you will get the customer.
1. Show up
Show up even if you think that there is only a small chance that you will get the client. If you don't show up, the chances are automatically zero. Showing up is half the battle.
Present yourself to the customer in the way you want them to view your company. You want to appear professional, trustworthy, reliable, and friendly. You do not want to come off as a salesman (even though you are trying to make a sale). If potential clients get the impression that you are using sales techniques on them, red flags pop up. You want them to believe that the primary reason you are there is to help them, not to help yourself.
2. Pay Attention
No one wants to hire someone who constantly talks over them. Your potential clients will trust you more if you listen to their perspectives and concerns before offering your own expertise. This seems counter-intuitive because clients are hiring you for your knowledge, and that would make it seem like you should take every opportunity to demonstrate your skills. Although it is true that customers are hiring you for your knowledge and expertise, customers shouldn't be treated like they don't know anything about your field. Do not treat your customers like they are completely clueless about your work even if they are asking you to do impossible things. Instead, listen to their requests or criticisms without interrupting, and do your best to explain your perspective in a way that they can understand.
3. Manage Customers
It is difficult to keep everyone happy at once, but this can be made easier with proper organization and management.
You should get to know the unique needs of your individual clients. Document these needs, so you can refer back to them if you ever help the same, or a similar, customer.
Manage your client's deadlines and projects.
Periodically check in with each of your clients to talk about their concerns about how the project is running thus far.
Assign one manager, or yourself, to consistently meet with the same clients, so the client can feel comfortable working with the same person for the entirety of the project.
Keep open communication with your clients so that they can call of email you whenever they have questions.
4. Organize
This is super important. You do not want to get in the situation where you screwed up a project just because you weren't organized.
I think that the most important aspect of organization is to document everything and save all of your documentations. Every time you have a meeting or request or concern from your client, you should document it. This way there is no room for human error or miscommunication.
5. Follow Through
Everything that you promised to your client, you must deliver.
In fact, you should try to exceed their expectations. Studies show that customers are most satisfied when a product or service exceeded their expectations even if their expectations weren't very high than if a product or service meets their expectations if the customer had very high expectations. This data seems to suggest that you should under-promise and over-deliver, but obviously you have to promise in order to get the customer. Knowing this information, you can take advantage by delivering a little something extra to each customer that they weren't expecting. This can be a complementary service, future promotion, or rewards program. This will help you exceed customer expectations without under-promising.
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