5 Tips for Maintaining and Enhancing Customer Relationships

.Customer Relations is integral to all businesses, regardless of industry. Being able to meet the needs of your clients are assessing their needs at a deeper level than they can express is very important. Let's delve into 5 simple ways to maintain and enhance your customer relationships:

1. Listen then Speak - How many times do we all get frustrated because the businesses we frequent do not seem to listen at all. It is important that you listen (not passively be quiet waiting for a moment to interject) in order to immediately instill confidence into your client that you are assessing their need and will provide a solution tailored to what they want. It also gives you time to understand how your client communicates; if they have spent time searching for solutions elsewhere; or if there are other issues you must address that they have not noticed as yet. 
2. Ask Questions - Clarify anything that may have been unclear or missed in your consultation with the client. It does not matter if you are selling a craft item or a service, if you fail to accurately assess their need, even if they do not verbalize it, you will lose them to a competitor. Asking questions also lets them know you were listening, and you are interested in giving them a solution, not selling whatever you have, whether it works or not. 
3. Clearly state the issue and the course of action you will take - While your services may be clearly listed in your mind and how they help clients is clear to you, it is always a good practice to reiterate how your client will be receive value from your product or service. Let them know that you are fully aware of their issue, committed to providing a solution, and how that solution will solve their problem. Do this in person, over the phone, and also in email if possible. This will also help remind you of the commitments you have made so you are not tempted to take any "shortcuts."
4. Follow-Up and solicit feedback - You may feel you have delivered the best product or service for your client, but do they agree? How can you really know unless you ask them? After delivery of your product or service is complete, give them time to really adjust to its use in their lives. Initially, they may seem excited and really happy but after two weeks find it falls short of their expectations. Instead of losing this client to a silent thought, develop a feedback form or system where you can engage them. Not only are you helping to enhance your services, you are also going above and beyond what other business owners are willing to do. Even if they find your product or service less than what they desired, they will likely give you an opportunity or referral because you are willing to accept their critique or listen to their feedback. 
5. Place yourself in their place - Too often as business owners we tend to forget that we are also consumers. Would you do business with yourself? Are you trying to squeeze the most profit out of one sale when you should be delivering more value? Do not forget that you should always treat your customers as you would like to be treated.

Inherently in business there are those customers you cannot please and they will require more than they are willing to pay. But that is NOT the majority! Take a step back and assess yourself to see what things you are doing to maintain and enhance your client relationships. Share your tips in the comment section below.

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