17 Apr

5 Ways To Regain Customer Confidence

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 17.04.14 by John Meloche

Thumbs Up Success Hand Sign“As you know, gaining your customer’s confidence can take years,” writes John Marshall on Results-Driven.com, “It takes hard work, exceeding their expectations, being there when they need you, and going above and beyond. And as long as it takes you to build their confidence, it can take only days or just one awkward situation to lose it. Yes, it can happen that quickly.”

In yesterday’s blog, we reviewed four steps – as outlined by Marshall – that should be taken by business owners when trying to rebuild their businesses. The steps, which came in the form of questions that entrepreneurs need to answer, are what need to initially be taken in order to set your business back on track. Falling off track in the business world is not all that uncommon, but finding your way back is as hugely important undertaking.

As Marshall insists, making good with your disgruntled customers is a big part of regaining a positive perception of your business. And if you feel that your customers have lost confidence in you, you’ll need to know what to do to set things right. Thankfully, Marshall lists a number of suggestions for ways that you can re-establish a rapport with your clients.

Admit fault. It doesn’t matter if it’s the order desk, the warehouse, the photocopier or even your dog, says Marshall, it’s important that you hold yourself accountable for the issues that your customers are having with your business. Taking the blame for making someone unhappy is the first step to reversing that feeling. Assume responsibility and work towards fixing the problem.

Apologize and mean it when you say it. “Don’t have the words sound hollow,” insists Marshall. This turns customers right off. We’ve all heard a “sorry” that didn’t sound sincere in our lives. It only serves to make matters worse. Be sure to apologize with a sense of honestly and humility and seek to make the customer feel better about the situation. Regaining a customer’s trust will play a huge role in how you move forward.

Meet your customers in person. If you really want to show how sincere you are about retaining a customer’s business, you should meet up face to face. This way, you’ll be able to show through your words, body language and the gesture of an in-person meeting itself that you truly care about solving the problem. Ask questions to discover exactly what is wrong. Take notes and work towards a true resolution.

Accept feedback. You’re not expected to be a mind reader. You may know the problem, but not necessarily know what will satisfy the customer in order to solve it. “Once you know the true cause of the issue, ask the customer what they feel is an appropriate solution to their issue,” recommends Marshall, “Often customers will ask for a lot less than you anticipate.”

Provide value through your solution. Don’t skimp out, says Marshall. Make sure that what you offer cannot be interpreted as “cheap or inadequate.” He uses the example of a bakery giving away “yesterday’s stale bread as a token of your generosity.” Your final gesture may literally be your final interaction with your customers if it is deemed unsatisfactory. Don’t lose your customer forever!

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20 Jan

Tips For Terrific Content Marketing

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 20.01.14 by John Meloche

Hand Drawing Content Flow Chart“Marketing is no longer just about selling your company’s product or service or about creating a brand that people can connect to,” writes Mark Lerner on SocialMediaToday.com, “Today, the most effective marketing campaigns focus on thought leadership and the best strategy to position your brand as a thought leader is through content marketing”

What does “content marketing” actually mean though? Here, at Synergy Marketing, we believe that is has everything to do with being innovative. That not only entails being able to offer your customers something new and unique, but to be able to communicate with them in ways that your competition does not. This is why social media websites are so important today.

Being active on Facebook and Twitter means so much more than advertising your business to the masses. It means making personal connections, engaging in conversations and drumming up genuine interest in who you are and what your brand is all about. This is the key to content marketing in 2014. And Lerner outlines a number of ways to create the best possible content marketing strategy.

Stop Selling. “Effective content marketing leaves the sales pitch to the salesmen,” says Lerner. When you jump on social media, be careful not to start plugging away. This tends to turn readers off. Instead, give people information that they want and need. Be interesting with your posts and get your friends and followers to respond to things that you have to say.

Your posts can be as simple as comments about current events or even thoughts on topics related to your industry. Lerner suggests that you offer tips and tricks for small business owners. You can also share a bit of your expertise to demonstrate how knowledgeable you are about your field. Remember that it’s all about eliciting a response and generating interest in you – not just your products and services.

Solve A Problem. Lerner reminds us that, these days, everyone is so quick to jump online to get their information. As soon as someone is curious enough, he or she will head to Google to do their research. Your use of social media provides you with the perfect opportunity to be able to answer questions that many people may be asking. Can you offer information that can solve problems?

Think of the various products and services that your business offers and consider ways to use your knowledge of them to answer queries and resolve issues people may be having. Your comments may not result in immediate sales, but they will certainly gain intrigue. The next thing you know, you will be gaining friends and followers who genuinely care about what you have to say.

In tomorrow’s blog, we’ll continue to take a look at a few more of Lerner’s tips for top content marketing. Keep in mind that it’s all about garnering greater attention for your brand – something that Synergy Marketing has always been about. For more information on how our amazing promotional products can help your brand gain more notice, give us a call at 1-877-748-9884.

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12 Aug

Taking Steps To Make Your Customer Service Superior

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 12.08.13 by John Meloche

cusomter-service_4As a business owner, if you’ve heard it once, you’ve probably heard it a million times: it’s all about customer service. Quite frankly, you’ve likely said it a million times ensuring that each and every one of your employees lives by this rule. At the end of the day, it simply doesn’t matter how great your products and services are if the customer service you provide is subpar.

People remember bad service. And they tell others about it as well. You’re a customer too, aren’t you? Think about how you feel about a business when it doesn’t provide you with the feeling that you matter. Consider your opinion of a brand when it doesn’t go out of its way to make you happy. If you want to be successful, your customer service has got to be top-notch.

On Desk.com, Kevin Baldacci refers to this as the “Thank You Effect”. In other words, every single thing you do for your customers should essentially be a way of saying “thank you”. And there are many simple ways to pull this off. Baldacci suggests that implementing these ever-so-easy-to-do rules will help your business to thrive on an everyday basis.

Say “Thank you” in your response. What better way to say “thank you” than to actually utter those very words? See, we told you the tips would be simple! Make sure your customers know that you appreciate them. It’s such a small gesture but it’s one that has a big impact. Be sure to throw in this kind phrase at some point during your everyday interactions with those visiting your business.

Suggest a solution to the problem at hand in addition to asking for more information. It’s always important to ask questions. How else will you know how to truly solve your customers’ problems? And that’s what running a business is all about, isn’t it? Problem solving. Your customers come to you because you are their solution. Get the information you need to solve the problems they have.

Offer to provide additional assistance – email or call back. Don’t ever assume that your interactions with your customers end when they leave your place of business. As far as you should be concerned, that should only be the beginning. Baldacci recommends that you take the opportunity to get to know each of your new clients by getting their contact information. Stay in touch and they may stay your customers.

Commit random acts of kindness. Baldacci also refers to this as delivering “Customer Wow”. Wowing your customers should be part of your job on a daily basis. And this can happen in a variety of ways. Offer to take their bags back to their cars for them. Give them a discount if they’ve referred someone to your store. And be sure to hand out your amazing promotional gifts from Synergy Marketing!

Come up with a list of the top 10 “cringe items” to fix. Are there issues at your business that haven’t yet been resolved? Sometimes, fixing problems means correcting mistakes before they happen. As Baldacci suggests, figure out some of the things that other businesses may do that annoy you and be sure to come up with ways to avoid those annoying things with your brand.

We’ll continue to take a look at Baldacci’s suggestions on how to improve your customer service regimen in tomorrow’s blog. Don’t forget to check it out!

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