Having trouble reaching new clients or even existing ones? This problem is oftentimes attributed to poor customer relationship management (CRM). To remedy this, business owners should make an effort to reconnect with old clients or find a unique way to better connect with potential customers. CRM should always be a business’s top priority, and our South Florida advertising agency is here to help business owners devise a winning strategy to keep customers happy — and more importantly, to keep them coming back!

BE TRANSPARENT

The cost for a company to obtain a new client is typically ten times more than that for securing a repeat customer, or one that results from a past customer’s referral. Like any other relationship, when it comes to customer relations, honesty is always the best policy. Don’t let clients or prospects, not even for a moment, feel uneasy about their decision to trust you. For that reason alone, it is imperative that you foster good relationships with your customers through honesty and integrity. From your very first interaction with a client, avoid making the mistake of overpromising and underdelivering, you only get one chance to make a first impression and once the trust is questioned it will not be easily restored.

DON’T LET THEM GO UNNOTICED

First, you’ll need to start by knowing where your customers are. This means determining whether their preferred method of reaching out to your business is through Facebook, Twitter, or email. Next, make sure these individuals can find you there. Leaving a positive lasting impression starts by responding quickly and in a personal way, addressing customer concerns as soon as possible, and letting people know how valuable their feedback is. This is an important practice that is often underutilized by small business owners, because they are busy managing so many other areas of the company

Addressing negative comments in a kind and timely manner is mutually beneficial for both yourself and the reviewer. By giving the consumer a sense of reassurance, you build a sense of trust that hopefully results in a satisfied customer and more sales in the future. And while it might be tempting to delete negative reviews or comments, it’s always in your best interest not to because it will only cause further angering the original reviewer. Responding in a courteous and helpful manner will reflect much better on your company and other online viewers will take notice.

FOLLOW-UPS AND THANK-YOU CARDS

Satisfied customers are more likely to speak highly of your business. Brett Hagler, cofounder of Hucksley, a discovery ecommerce platform, sums it up brilliantly:

“Word of mouth is the most effective route to market for digital companies… It carries the highest amount of trust to consumers while still maintaining a very non-pressured approach. From an internal budget perspective, there is clearly no other marketing tactic with the same amount of return on investment.”

So keep that in mind when you’re deciding whether or not to send a thank-you email or follow up with prospects and past clients in the form of a birthday card. As far as your CRM automation goes, using tools like Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Kovida.is, Close.io, or Sugar will help you keep track of customer communication efforts. This will also ensure you're being proactive in maintaining relationships, not just putting out fires when things go wrong. And even though it’s crucial to answer any negative reviews, you shouldn’t ignore the people who are leaving positive feedback. You should express just as much gratitude for them taking the time to tell you, inasmuch as these are the customers helping your company grow.

Ready to start generating more customer or clients? Feel free to call our South Florida advertising agency, or check out some of our past blogs for more tips from the experts.

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