We took some liberties from the original Peter Drucker quote by adding the word repeat. Repeat customers. That is what business is all about, right? If we had to depend on new customers for 100% of building repeat customers of our business, it really would get hard. Really hard.
Customer loyalty is a hard job. And getting harder all the time.
We all know that providing exceptional customer service is the stated goal of every business leader, regardless of how large or small the company. It’s common knowledge that customers are more loyal to companies who treat them as more than just a number.
For a long time, marketing was driven by taglines—short, evocative slogans that captured the essence of a brand’s message. Nike encouraged us to “Just Do It,” while Apple inspired us to “Think Different.” Miller Lite simply had to say, “Tastes great, less filling” and the product flew off the shelves.
Taglines worked because they cut through the clutter and stood out in a sea of brands vying for our attention. Marketers needed to project images that were compact, but meaningful or risk getting lost in the mix. Yet it is no longer enough to merely grab attention. Marketers now need to hold attention.
Galileo once said that “All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.” Great marketers uncover those obvious, but unexpected truths to win consumer’s hearts and sell products.
So what does it take to turn first-time buyers into repeat customers? Consider these 10 tips we frequently use with our clients to keep their customers coming back. They form the enablers of customer retention strategies we build.
Be accountable
Don’t pass the buck. One of the most aggravating things a customer faces where customer care is concerned is being passed around like an old hat that no one wants.
Impeccable service ensures that every company employee, regardless of rank, handles customers to the fullest extent of their abilities.
Never refer a customer to someone else simply because you don’t know how to handle his problem. Instead, take the time to help him fix the problem, if possible.
Or at the least, if you must refer a customer, find someone who can resolve their issue and provide a warm hand-off. Ensuring your customer achieves a desirable outcome will help you create a customer for life.
Provide solutions
Be innovative. Once you understand the customer’s problem, offer a solution. Refrain from telling the customer what you can’t do. Instead, focus on what you can do to remedy her situation, and offer some options.
Working to solve your customer’s problem — even if not to the extent she may have hoped — will help her feel as if you care about her and her business.
A solution-focused attitude will keep customers coming back even after they’ve faced a problem with your company.
Personalize your service
Be genuine. When a customer calls with a complaint or a concern, make the time to treat them like an individual. And ensure your employees do, too. While calling a customer ma’am or sir is respectful, it doesn’t offer a personal touch.
Replying, “Yes sir, I understand,” is polite. And polite is good! But adding the customer’s name, as in “Yes Mr. Jones, I understand,” is so much better!
Using a customer’s name whenever possible helps her see you are truly engaged in serving her, regardless of the problems she’s brought to your attention. And it helps her realize she’s more important to your company than her checkbook.
New ideas
Come up with new ideas for customers. You have experience and knowledge. You know what’s happening in your industry and your customer’s needs. Make a serious effort to share your thoughts with customers.
Our job as marketers is to do the hard work of finding and nurturing charismatic ideas we can be proud of. One place to start is to look at the ideas you’re trying to spread.
Consider whether they’re charismatic enough to earn the effort you’re putting into them–and if not, how to replace them with ideas that are.
Customer feedback
Seek customer feedback early and respond quickly. Follow up the first sale with some form of customer
contact soon after delivery. Try to pinpoint any problems immediately. Satisfied customers want a positive response when they run into problems or have serious questions.
Be empathetic
Listen, acknowledge, validate & apologize. Listen to your customers. Sometimes people really do just need to vent, and rarely should a complaint be taken personally.
Learn to acknowledge the customer’s issue, and train employees to do the same. It helps your customers to know that someone understands their concerns.
Let them know you understand the way they are feeling and apologize even if you don’t feel you need to. A sincere apology works wonders in creating happy, loyal customers. It confirms your willingness to take responsibility for their problems.
Be responsive
Prospects expect a quick reaction to a request or a problem. They also expect your employees to try to make sure that problems don’t occur in the first place. Once prospects are convinced they can rely on the responsiveness of the staff, there’s a good possibility they will become repeat customers.
If you make a mistake, admit it right away. Don’t try to place blame or cover it up with excuses. The customer knows what’s going on and will be looking for your reaction. Once you admit the mistake, start talking about solutions.
Be trustworthy
Never make impossible promises. Often, in an effort to appease a customer, an employee or company leader will make promises that are not only impractical but which he or she is simply not able to honor.
Instead, offer a realistic, workable solution that will allow you to rebuild your customer relationship and provide some satisfaction. It’s not necessary to “give away the store.” Just meet the situation realistically and your customer will appreciate the effort.
Be reliable
The ability to provide what’s promised dependably and accurately is listed as the No. 1 requirement for first-time buyers. They have no patience for employees who over-promise, don’t meet expectations or fail to inform them of possible problems.
Don’t spend months pursuing a new customer but fail to ensure that initial orders are fulfilled in a satisfactory manner.
Be the expert
They expect salespeople to have the knowledge and the expertise to meet all of their requirements. Prospects want to be convinced that you and your company have the knowledge to solve their current and future problems.
Their first order is a trial. How you handle it will go a long way in determining whether they will become repeat customers.
Take nothing for granted
Don’t take any customer’s loyalty for granted. It is a fragile trust. The key to customer loyalty is not just by providing a quality service or product, but how you service and support it. Meeting customer expectations in a first sale may not be enough. First-time buyers want to know you care. For loyalty to endure, it must be noticed and acknowledged over the long term.
The bottom line
Creating repeat customers is not rocket science. It is no more complicated than giving your customers what they want. Follow these tips well and you will have them lined up. You will have made you and your business indispensable.
Think and rethink.
Do you have experience with creating repeat customers to share with this community?
Read more from Digital Spark Marketing’s blog library:
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Customer Engagement
Social Commerce Business … What Ben and
Jerry’s Knows That You Should Know
12 Ways to Build Social Commerce
Business through Great Customer Service
Leadership is a struggle by flawed human beings to make some important human values real and effective in the world as it is. Interesting thought from Steven Snyder. Do you consider yourself a leader that promotes loyalty in your team? How important is this leadership characteristic in your mind? I believe that it is more important than ever as employee loyalty is at an all-time low. I have held leadership positions in the military and business for over 40 years. In my mind, there are few, if any, more important successful habits to achieve.
Successful habits
Before we continue, let me ask you a question.
What is your best leadership habit? We would love to hear what it was. Would you do us a favor and post it in the comments section below? Be the one who starts a conversation.
Here are some of the more important ways to strengthen your leadership habits:
Leaders need to be authentic.
Successful habits … be authentic
Nobody likes to work for a phony. In past decades, it was more common for employees to tolerate insincere and ineffective leaders.
These days, younger generations are generally less willing to suffer under bosses they have little respect for.
That’s putting a greater premium on authenticity. Authentic leaders can be counted on to say what they mean and do what they say. They’re the same person to their staff, their own superiors, their customers, and their partners.
Authentic leaders can be counted on to say what they mean and do what they say.
One of my favorite leadership experts is Tanveer Naseer. He is the Principal and Founder of Tanveer Naseer Leadership, a leadership coaching firm that works with executives and managers to help them develop practical leadership and team-building competencies.
I recommend you keep up with his blog, he has lots of knowledge to share in the form of stories and great examples.
Tanveer points out that authenticity refers to being honest in all things–not just what you say and do but who you are. When you’re authentic, your words and actions align with who you claim to be.
Your followers shouldn’t be compelled to spend time trying to figure out if you have ulterior motives. Any time they spend doing so erodes their confidence in you and in their ability to execute.
Leaders who are authentic are transparent and forthcoming. They aren’t perfect, but they earn people’s respect by walking their talk.
Leadership habits … serve your team
Leaders who inspire real loyalty to see their role as motivating and improving the working lives of those they lead. They view their team members as more than just people to help them execute their own goals.
Instead, they find meaning and purpose in bringing out the best in their employees.
Success is a question of the number of talented people they’ve helped to grow and advance in the organization. In private conversations, they love to include stories about those employees and their accomplishments.
Be accountable
There’s a long legacy of leaders who place blame on their team members or external circumstances to avoid responsibility and the potential for a backlash from higher-ups.
They are afraid of mistakes and overcompensate because they want to be seen as indispensable and even perfect.
We all know this is an impossible standard to meet, but many managers try anyways, and this approach is what actually leads to discontent employees. Their defensiveness leads to harsh criticism and incivility for the people around them.
“The ancient Romans had a tradition: Whenever one of their engineers constructed an arch, as the capstone was hoisted into place, the engineer assumed accountability for his work in the most profound way possible: He stood under the arch.” –Michael Armstrong
Great leaders have their followers’ backs. They don’t try to shift blame, and they don’t avoid shame when they fail. They’re never afraid to say, “The buck stops here,” and they earn people’s trust by backing them up.
Related post: How to Create the Best Leadership Accountability
You can’t inspire genuine loyalty if you’re unwilling to be a mentor. The best leaders continuously look for ways to help their staff develop, not only in the workplace but also in areas of their personal lives.
One of the biggest drivers of high turnover is the belief that there are better professional development opportunities further afield.
If employees who are loyal to their companies feel otherwise, it’s largely thanks to their managers.
Look for opportunities not just to train your staff but to challenge them. If those resources aren’t already available within your company, try to bring them in from the outside.
In fact, inspiring leaders are more afraid of their employees’ skills stagnating than they are of losing talent to other organizations after they’ve put energy into developing them.
Put the team first
Be an extra mile leader. They are selfless in that their motivation and their proactive ways are done with the intent of benefitting the team.
Yes, there can be exceptions when what motivates an individual is selfish in nature.
But by and large, these leaders have a broad understanding of the mission and vision of the organization and their sacrifices are for the benefit of the group.
Share values and ideas freely
Leaders who inspire those under them are open and transparent about what they believe. They share their ideas openly and enthusiastically every chance they get. Their team members never have to guess where they’re coming from.
Those leaders make it clear what it takes to succeed in the organization and explain where they see the company heading.
They’re also unafraid of being proved wrong—the point is to sustain a regular and meaningful dialogue, not win an argument. Their positive energy and belief in those they work with is contagious and boosts everyone’s energy.
Be genuinely interested in employees’ lives
Talk to any leader who inspires loyalty and they’ll be able to share a wealth of information about each of their team members—not only their performance history, but also their families, hobbies, and interests outside the workplace.
Cultivating loyalty takes knowing your employees as people. Leaders who do it well are fully aware that their team members’ lives impact their work in many ways.
Supporting your employees’ personal needs is one of the best ways to ensure that they’ll be there in turn when you and the company need them most.
Put yourself in another’s position
Trying to understand the other person’s point of view when it differs from your own is sometimes difficult.
However, this leader can look at a situation from another’s perspective and gain more knowledge of how to address the problem.
Always pitch in
Regardless of what position they hold, loyalty building leaders take the opportunity to work alongside everyone whose work they oversee. No task or project is too far beneath them to play a hand in.
If emergency strikes, leaders who inspire are the first ones on the scene, offering to do whatever is necessary to get the job done. They don’t expect anyone to do a task that they themselves aren’t willing to do.
Be good at motivation
Motivating others through positivity is another quality of this type of leader. When a person leads through threats and intimidation, nothing productive can occur.
It may seem like you’re progressing and meeting goals, but if it isn’t handled in a positive way it will be like a structure built on sand.
Give trust
Loyalty inspiring leaders push staff to go beyond their comfort zones and are there to support them. Armed with the confidence of their leader, team members are more apt to take on challenges and risk failure.
But you can’t spark real loyalty simply by telling your employees you trust them. It needs to be backed up by action.
Employees who know their leaders have their backs will not only take on bolder challenges, they’ll stay put even when they stumble or when the going gets tough.
Show compassion and enthusiasm
Chade-Meng Tan, the head of personal growth at Google, discussed compassion in a TED Talk a few years ago.
He pointed to Jim Collins’ book Good to Great,which outlines that the two most important qualities in truly great leaders are humility and ambition.
Chade-Meng said:
These are leaders who are highly ambitious for the greater good. And because they’re ambitious for a greater good, they feel no need to inflate their own egos. And they, according to the research, make the best business leaders.
And if you look at these qualities in the context of compassion, we find that the cognitive and affective components of compassion –understanding people and empathizing with people — inhibits, tones down, what I call the excessive self-obsession that’s in us, therefore creating the conditions for humility.
Be generous
Loyalty building leaders are generous. They share credit and offer enthusiastic praise. They’re as committed to their followers’ success as they are to their own.
They want to inspire all of their employees to achieve their personal best–not just because it will make the team more successful, but also because they care about each person as an individual.
Show humility
Loyalty building leaders are humble. They don’t allow their position of authority to make them feel that they are better than anyone else.
As such, they don’t hesitate to jump in and do the dirty work when needed, and they won’t ask their followers to do anything they wouldn’t be willing to do themselves.
Be approachable
Great leaders make it clear that they welcome challenges, criticism, and viewpoints other than their own. They know that an environment in which people are afraid to speak up, offer insight, and ask good questions is destined for failure.
By ensuring that they are approachable, great leaders facilitate the flow of great ideas throughout the organization.
The bottom line
Remember this simple fact. Leadership focuses on people. What is the best definition of a leader? It is someone who helps people succeed.
Let your leadership success be your difference maker.
The moral of this story is that a loyalty-building leader has a great influence on the success of his business.
If these different thoughts are possessed by your current leadership team, or your emerging leaders, you will be in a good position for the road ahead.
Which of these leadership thoughts stand out to you? Do you have any other thoughts of effective leaders worthy of mention? Leave a comment and share your insights with others…
Need some help in capturing more improvements for your staff’s leadership, teamwork and collaboration? Creative ideas in running or facilitating a team or leadership workshop?
Call today for a FREE consultation or a FREE quote. Learn about some options to scope your job.
Call Mike at 607-725-8240.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that fight gets better every day you learn and apply new ideas.
When things are not what you want them to be, what’s most important is your next step. Call today.
Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Are you devoting enough energy to innovating your social media strategy?
Do you have a lesson about making your advertising better you can share with this community? Have any questions or comments to add in the section below?
Mike Schoultz is the founder of Digital Spark Marketing, a digital marketing and customer service agency. With 40 years of business experience, he blogs on topics that relate to improving the performance of r business. Find them on G+, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change. We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way. Call us for a free quote today. You will be amazed at how reasonable we will be.
More leadership material from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
The influence you have on others can be way beyond what you imagined. Is customer service performance a top priority for your company? We all know that providing exceptional customer service is the stated goal of every business leader, regardless of how large or small the company. It’s common knowledge that customers are more loyal to companies who treat them as more than just a number. So it is no surprise that businesses are turning to ways to keep customers returning, including improving the customer service recovery strategy.
What works best for customer service design in your business? We would love to hear what it was. Would you do us a favor and post it in the comments section below? Be the one who starts a conversation.
Customer service quality is no longer an emerging trend to merely keep an eye on – it’s a burgeoning movement that companies would be very wise to embrace.
Instead of returning to a store or calling a helpline, people are increasingly turning to social media to resolve their gripes. It is called social customer care.
Sadly, the personal touch customers want — and deserve — is often lost in the daily grind of doing business… especially in larger companies. Too often the leaders do not model the very behaviors they expect from their teams.
Here are five simple ways to keep your customers coming back, even after facing their problems or complaints:
Service recovery examples.
Be genuine
Your best action is to be genuine and to personalize the conversation. When a customer calls with a complaint or a concern, make the time to treat them like an individual.
And ensure your employees do, too. While calling a customer ma’am or sir is respectful, it doesn’t offer a personal touch. Replying, “Yes sir, I understand,” is polite. And polite is certainly good. But adding the customer’s name is so much better!
Using a customer’s name whenever possible helps her see you are truly engaged in serving her, regardless of the problems she’s brought to your attention.
And it helps her realize she’s more important to your company than in her checkbook.
Customer service recovery strategy … be accountable
One of the most aggravating things a customer faces where customer care is concerned is being passed around like an old hat that no one wants.
Impeccable service ensures that every company employee, regardless of rank, handles customers to the fullest extent of their abilities.
Never refer a customer to someone else simply because you don’t know how to handle his problem. Instead, take the time to help him fix the problem, if possible.
Or at the least, if you must refer a customer, find someone who can resolve their issue and provide a warm hand-off.
Ensuring your customer achieves a desirable outcome will create a customer for life.
Service recovery steps … be empathetic
Listen, acknowledge, validate & apologize to your customers when there is an issue. Sometimes people really do just need to vent, and rarely should a complaint be taken personally. Learn to acknowledge the customer’s issue, and train employees to do the same.
It helps your customer to know that someone understands their concerns. Let them know you understand the way they are feeling and apologize even if you don’t feel you need to.
A sincere apology works wonders in creating happy, loyal customers, and confirms your willingness to take responsibility for the customer’s problem.
Be innovative
Once you understand the customer’s problem, offer legitimate solutions. Avoid telling the customer what you can’t do, at all costs. Instead, focus on what you can do to remedy her situation, and offer some options.
Working to solve your customer’s problem — even if not to the extent they may have hoped — will help her feel as if you care about her and her business.
A solution-focused attitude will keep customers coming back even after they’ve faced a problem with your company.
Be trustworthy
Being trustworthy means you never make impossible promises. You know the ones you can’t keep. Often, in an effort to appease a customer, an employee or company leader will make promises that are not only impractical but which he or she is simply not able to honor.
Instead, offer a realistic, workable solution that will allow you to rebuild your customer relationship and provide some satisfaction. It’s not necessary to ‘give away the farm’. Just meet the situation realistically and your customer will appreciate the effort.
Takeaways
While these tips will help you provide quality care to your customers, there will be times when nothing anyone else does will be enough to keep a customer.
Knowing you’ve offered impeccable service, however, will help you sleep better at night realizing there was nothing more you could have done to meet the customer’s needs.
Need some help in building better customer service for your customers? Have you noticed the growing importance of customer service you provide, especially for your marketing? Creative ideas to help enhance your word of mouth marketing?
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that fight gets better every day you learn and apply new ideas for your service to customers.
When things are not what you want them to be, what’s most important is your next step.
Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Are you devoting enough energy to improving your continuous learning for yourself and your team?
Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change. We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way.
More reading on customer service from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
Mike Schoultz is a digital marketing and customer service expert. With 48 years of business experience, he consults on and writes about topics to help improve the performance of small business. Find him on Facebook, Twitter, Digital Spark Marketing, and LinkedIn.
