How many times have you heard the phrase, “If you throw enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick?” I lost count of the times I heard this throughout my sales career. With the ever increasing amount of messages that each individual is exposed to, buyers’ expectations are rising and it is becoming harder to earn audience trust. Without that trust you have little to no chance of building long term profitable relationships. That is why customer centric selling should be at the heart of your marketing.
There is little point pitching your product and service to the world because quite frankly the world is not interested. This is one of major pitfalls that small business social media marketingfail to avoid. The sooner you realise that the better for your business and the easier it will be on your finances.
To truly get to the heart and mind of your customer and before embarking on any marketing campaign make sure the message is personalized to the end users’ exact wants and needs, not just generic perceptions.
Stop throwing mud at the wall and HOPING it will stick by following this customer centric selling advice.
Know your customer – The more you know about your customer, the easier it will become to provide that personalized message. If you have an image of what your customer looks like, what books they read, what makes them happy, where they live, or what industry they work in, then attracting that prospect to become a lead or a customer will be far easier and over time will cost less as conversions will be higher.
Consistency – If part of your online marketing strategy involves tactics such as Facebook Marketing, YouTube video marketing and Twitter campaigns then make it a point to provide a consistent brand experience. So if your video marketing is to drive people to your blog where they can learn more about your business, by using the same images, colors and voice, you can increase your trust in the eyes of the prospect and use that trust to influence the prospect to become a lead.
The last thing you want after winning the attention of your prospect on YouTube, is when they hit your blog or website to ask “Have I come to the right place?” Make it obvious, be consistent.
Communicate – Don’t just talk to the customer, make the relationship a two way street. Many people don’t like the idea of giving back to the customer. The truth of the matter is that social media has given the power to the customer anyway, so deal with it and enhance the service that you provide. Businesses are now in a position where customer centric selling is expected so embrace it.
Always be listening – Social media has given the consumer many more options to get their opinions heard. It is no longer in the power of the business to send out a periodic questionnaire as a customer can now go on Twitter or Facebook and express an opinion 24/7 in view of everybody else. The power of customer feedback is well and truly with the consumer.
Businesses need to put into place a system where they can constantly monitor their online reputation and be prepared to deal with negative criticism when they arrive. You cannot please everybody, but how you resolve the situation with those that are unhappy when the eyes and ears of the world are on you is important.
Act Decisively – In the past if you had a problem with a product or service you would go to the customer service desk, ask for the manager or perhaps fill out a customer complaint form to get an apology and a promise from the manager that the issue would be investigated and resolved. What would happen after that is anybody’s guess!
Now it is a completely different kettle of fish. The public nature of the social web means that when somebody has something negative to say about your company you need to act decisively as everybody is listening and waiting for a response!
By embracing customer centric selling your business will be available and responsive to your ideal client’s needs which is essential to building great customer relationships. After all, as all good business people know, if you are not there to interact your competition will be.
Leave your thoughts below on what you do to provide a more customer centric approach for your clients?