01 Jun
4 Ways To Build Those All-Important Customer Relationships
Posted in Small Business Advertising, Synergy Suggestions on 01.06.15 by John Meloche
Small business owners don’t generally rely on big budget advertising in order to spread the word about their businesses. With television commercials, billboards, radio spots and print ads generally being pretty expensive, most entrepreneurs are forced to seek other means by which they can promote their brands. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though. You may be surprised to know that small business owners have an advantage over larger corporations.
Then again, if you’re a reader of the Synergy Marketing Blog, you may not be all that surprised at all. Chances are that you know that small business owners have the ability to create and grow personal relationships with their customers. It’s the “personal interaction” factor that helps to differentiate most small businesses from their larger competitors. The advantage in making personal connections is that it endears customers to support your brand over others.
TV commercials and the like can’t do that. Small businesses grow and develop relationships at the ground level. “Relationships matter and good ones may be the most important things to your new business,” states Adam Fridman on Inc.com, “Go to meetings, meetups, panel discussions at colleges and universities, drop by your chamber of commerce or industry association. These events and opportunities are almost always free and the people there are usually as eager to meet you as you are to meet them.”
Here are four ways to build those all-important customer relationships:
1. Offer your expertise. People love working with businesses that are the “best” at what they do. When you impart your knowledge of your field onto others, it helps them to gain confidence in coming to you for solutions. On SBA.gov, Caron Beesley suggests that you showcase your expertise by writing blogs, hosting free workshops and sending out newsletters. “Being an expert in your field brings credibility, business and referrals. But you’ve got to work at it,” she writes.
2. Offer your help. At Synergy Marketing, we are large proponents for the “free giveaway”. But, as we’ve mentioned in many blogs before, what you give away doesn’t have to always be a material item. Offering your help can go a long way in growing your relationships with your customers. “Giving value is valuable,” says Fridman, “Everyone wants to help people who help them and being valuable is the best, fastest and most genuine way to get value in return.”
3. Be different. What separates you from your competition? What traits do you possess that will encourage customers to choose your brand over others? Beesley asks business owners to determine what makes them unique in order to strengthen the bonds they have with their clients. “What makes you different?” she asks, “Understanding and communicating this can really boost sales, and shift the focus away from price alone.”
4. Give something away for free. Is it any surprise that we would champion this point of view? For many years now, Synergy Marketing has been proving that when business owners give out free promotional gifts, it leads to stronger relationships with their customers. This often translates into referrals, increased sales and repeat business. But, as mentioned earlier, you don’t always have to give out material items.
“People love free stuff,” Fridman reminds us, “If you have a blog, offer free publicity. If you’re a consultant, offer a free initial review. Give away a free trial on your business software site. Meeting people, regardless of how or why they come to you, is an opportunity to build relationships. And giving away free things can, if done right, spark a good marketing and press opportunity.”
To get your hands on some great promotional gifts that you can hand out as free giveaways, call Synergy Marketing at 1-877-748-9884!
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