Business development Archives -

“People will forget what you said. They will forget what you did. But they will never forget how you made them feel.” This popular quote by Maya Angelou delves into the key aspect of customer service. If your customers don’t feel valued, they simply wouldn’t want to be in business with you again. Hence, customer service and customer satisfaction (Strategies to Improve Customer Satisfaction) are keys to winning your client’s heart and earning their trust and loyalty.

Customer service is an important factor in the smooth functioning of any business. It is an influential tool that not only serves the needs of the customers but also results in increased sales and marketing of the firm. By providing exceptional customer service, you can cultivate a reliable consumer base that will act as a catalyst for the promotion and development of your brand. If someone is content with the products and services of a firm, they will be the best marketers in the entire world. According to research by Temkin Group, about 77% of people recommend a brand to their friends after having a single positive experience. In essence, customer service is a powerful force that can potentially help a business to:

Create a loyal and dependable customer base
Increase sales and revenue by retaining old customers and landing new ones
Generate brand awareness by word-of-mouth endorsement
Decrease their expenditure as the cost of retaining old customers is significantly lower than the cost of acquiring new clients
Gain a competitive advantage as exceptional customer service can drive competitor’s clients to your side of the table

It is an undeniable fact that proactive customer service can build long-lasting relationships and increase profitability at the same time. The mental satisfaction of a customer is one of the biggest achievements of a customer service team. There are a variety of ways through which you can ensure the availability of effective customer support.

Practice active listening

Customer service teams must spend some time trying to listen and comprehend their client’s queries or problems. This holds true for every aspect of the conversation, whether positive or negative. You must let the customer speak for as long as they want and listen to them intently. It will make the customer feel valued and cared for. After you successfully provide them with a shoulder to lean on, you must turn the focus on how you can make their problems go away.

Reward loyal customers

In today’s time, people usually want to stand out from the crowd. They feel more connected to personalized products and services as these are exclusively curated for them. Thus, loyalty programs are a great way to keep their trust, make them feel appreciated and build a strong foundation for your relationship with them.

Feedbacks

In order to learn about a client’s level of satisfaction with your services, always ask for feedback. You can provide them with a survey after their purchase or ask them to interact with your support team. This will help firms to analyze their client’s needs, desires and expectations. You need to constantly ask questions and provide efficient support to make your customers’ experience unforgettable.

It doesn’t matter what industry you are in. Providing good customer service will definitely make your business stand out. Also, meeting client expectations or rather exceeding them is paramount for the successful growth and development of a business. So, the next time a customer provides feedback or presents a query, consider him as your best friend and listen.

When we talk about sustainability in business, we often look at how profitability and growth can move hand in hand. But sometimes we fail to acknowledge an important question – what comes after planned success? Once a business has fared well and achieved its targets with good research and dedicated efforts, what comes next?

It is important to create a continuous cycle of sustenance. It will allow the business to hold itself together without constant observation and interference. Thus, firms should plan for the future and focus on the following measures to create a self sustaining business model.

Lay out business goals and values

A business is made with hard work, determination and a passion to succeed. If you want your employees and co-workers to share these beliefs, then defining business objectives is an important step. Setting your goals in advance helps to provide a direction and guidance to the business. You must establish your objectives as it gives a clearer vision for the growth and development of the business. Also, it prepares you for the challenges and changes that you and your business might face in the times ahead.

Apart from setting concrete goals, there is one more thing that needs to be defined. When running a business, you must focus on who you are and what your business stands for. Apply the values you honour most to your work and align them with your actions. Ultimately this will bring consistency and control to the business.

Understand needs of your audience

Once you define your core values and objectives, it is important to determine the needs and preferences of your audience. You must aim to fully understand what your product has to offer and subsequently create a use for your customers. In order to remain relevant in the changing market scenario, you should think of ways to meet customer expectations. Afterall, the main purpose of any business is to drive value for their customers. So, focus on identifying the needs of the customers and methods to offer greater value to retain them.

Plan, organize and execute

For a business to run independently, one must plan the tasks, distribute responsibilities and execute them with precision. One of the biggest challenges many firms face is the lack of continuity. Thus, it is crucial to ensure that roles are clearly delegated so that the business can run without constant check-ups. The whole team must know their roles and deadlines in order to ensure smooth and uninterrupted working of operations.

Move with changes and keep evolving

The world is changing rapidly and trends shift with the blink of an eye. The key to stay ahead in the game is to keep innovating. You must encourage your team to be creative and think differently in order to gain competitive advantage. It will enable your business to stay relevant in the dynamic environment. Ultimately, growth and comfort cannot coexist. So, creating a self sustaining business model will allow you to grow and develop your dream into a plausible reality.

Category: Business development

Customer Service – Strategies to Improve Customer Satisfaction

How to create a self-sustaining business model