One of the most underrated reasons that potential clients choose not to purchase from a company is due to a bad experience. Not necessarily a lack of interest in the product or even a product failure, but specifically a bad interaction with a company employee or representative. It is true that businesses are certainly beginning to invest more in training employees to build genuine relationships and teaching them how to relate to clients as people rather than dollar signs. However, negative interactions are still a prevalent issue that businesses are struggling to prevent.
That’s why JSK Marketing has come up with five tips to boost your consumer interaction and establish genuine relationships. Relationships that not only last, but influence other potential clients based solely on their desire to experience the same relationship for themselves while receiving a product they feel they need.
Prioritize Quality Customer Service
This one may seem like a no-brainer, but you might be surprised how many businesses fail to correctly apply this to their business models. The idea or desire may be there, but their execution is flawed. The best way you can start properly prioritizing customer service at the forefront of your business is to become the buyer rather than behaving as a seller to the buyer. Display your desire to improve the buyer’s overall quality of life throughout all facets of your marketing and messaging. Then, display that messaging throughout all facets of your business model.
You can accomplish standard customer service and still not be truly serving the customer. The difference maker between the two is when your customer service is strategically executed in a way that focuses more on the customer and less on your service. You will know you are prioritizing quality customer service when you leave initial conversations with potential clients knowing just as much about them as they know about your product.
Make Your Mission Clear Early & Often
One of the simplest mistakes a business can make in marketing is not just successfully driving home the what of your company, but the why. Why does your company exist? Whether its displayed officially through a mission statement on your website or unofficially through the general vibe of your content, drive your mission home. No customer should be able to look at a promotion, a social media profile, a website, a commercial, or any advertisement for your company and not be able to tell the person next to them at least why you exist.
Each aspect of your marketing should not only convey what you provide, but also who you’re providing it for and why they need it in order for their quality of life to increase. This will blend extremely well into your actual interactions with your customers when they already have a generally accurate preconceived notion about why you do what you do. That way your initial conversation can be about fleshing that out rather than explaining everything from the beginning without any brand positioning to back it up.
Establish Trust Through Points of Attachment
This is where we transition from macroscopic to microscopic relational strategy. There are limitless reasons why customers choose one company or product over another. However, every single one has to do with one or more points of attachment that attract them to that specific company, who might be providing essentially the same product. One consumer may prioritize buying products based on the ways your company is involved in its local community or because they love your mission. Another consumer may purchase products simply because they love something like your facility, your owner, or even your logo! You never know what specific characteristics about a brand might be the top reasons a customer opens the door.
The main point is that all points of attachment are essential for you as the marketer to pinpoint and establish trust. If you can understand the main things that are important to somebody when they make purchase decisions, you can then show them why those things about your brand are the most trustworthy when compared to any other brand in your industry. After you’ve done that, you can utilize that gateway of trust to begin to explain why every other aspect of your company is just as trustworthy.
Sell Your Authenticity First & Product Second
The most monumental test when interacting with consumers is their first impression. A consumer may decide their entire potential to purchase based completely off of how authentic you were, even within the first few minutes of experiencing your brand. Businesses must stop selling their product right out of the gate without first selling their authenticity.
Things may have been different in 20th century marketing, but today people are much more dependent on communication, connectivity, and genuine relationships. The average person dreads the idea of telemarketing calls or door-to-door canvasing because those interactions almost always begin with selling products before or even without authenticity. Don’t be the interaction that robs a future client of their time.
Identify Needs and Become The Solution
Our final tip for adding value to consumer interaction is quite frankly the golden rule of marketing in any industry. It is arguably impossible to present successful solutions to anyone without first identifying their needs. Show genuine concern and ask relevant questions to figure out what a customer needs out of a product like yours and walk them through step-by-step how your product meets and exceeds their every need. Don’t falsify or manipulate, just be authentic about how you as a fellow consumer of other products are in favor of their best interest. Make it clear that you want only the best for them and that you truly believe what you’re selling is the best.
We hope this was helpful for you and would love to continue the conversation! At JSK Marketing we pride ourselves on authenticity, transparency and exceptional customer service. Contact us anytime you need help communicating your value to your audience!