As a business owner, the ability to anticipate the present and future needs and desires of your customers, is one that will ensure your business will grow over time.
Each business owner has their own strategy to help create loyalty in their customers and this strategy is built upon knowing in advance what their customers want from them. They do this by getting to know them in depth, which helps them to anticipate future needs and deliver what is expected of them.
Building strong relationships is a skill that you can utilize in all walks of your life but one which is especially important in your business dealings. Figuring out what motivates your customers to buy and the type of business they like to deal with, can be a little more difficult. Each customer is different and though they may be looking for the same type of product or service, it’s the details that will count when it comes to an actual purchase.
Customers like to be well informed and will compare the feature of your offers to others which are available. Make sure that you showcase what is special about your products and pay attention to what your competitors offer and at what price. Stress quality and act as your own specifications specialist, listing everything that makes your product stand out above the others. Potential customers tends to be those that will need the most help and the more you get to know them, the higher the chance is that they will also turn into long term customers.
The easier it is for your customer to buy, the more customers you will attract. Case in point is a website where they have to jump through hoops to purchase. Your customer will quickly give up and go elsewhere. Another important point: make contacting you a simple process. Phone numbers, email addresses, social media contact; anything that you can give them, will help customers to trust you more. Lack of contact information is always questionable.
Remember that you are a buyer too. What do you look for when purchasing? Put yourself in their place. Take a good look at what you are offering and ask yourself if you would buy from your company. If the answer isn’t a resounding yes, what is missing? Look at the companies you prefer to buy from. What do they offer that keep you going back to them? Do you use your own products or services? If you do, looking at them from a customer’s viewpoint, what would you like to see improved or changed?
A business owner who is accommodating and understanding, who listens to their customers, is one who, to other business owners, appears to read the minds of their customers. A business owner who actually comes right out and tells their customers how important they are, is one who actually does read their minds.
© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2015
