We all know that the customer is the king. Without having a good customer base, one cannot survive in the market. In earlier days, customer loyalty used to be a luxury for any organization. But in today’s world, customer loyalty is not a luxury anymore. In fact, it is a necessity for the growth and the sustenance of the organization. Hence without a loyal customer, there is no business. In this article, we will discuss 4 Key Strategies on Customer Centricity.
Below given are a few pointers that will help you create a strong foundation and customer loyalty for the growth of your organization;
Customer First:
Since ages, we have been listening to this, that customer comes first. The needs demands and satisfaction of the customer is to be placed at the highest priority by any organization. An organization is supposed to have a complete idea of who its audience is, what is their need and how you can fulfill that. To assure this, roll out a research form where you ask your existing customer about how satisfied they are with your products/services, what else they expect from your organization and what changes would they wish to see in your product/service (If any).
Study your research and based on the feedback, try to implement a few changes that highlight the feedback. In the end, the organization should focus on making a profit, but this is possible only when the organizations understand their customer and their expectations.
Perception V/S Reality:
For business owners, it is easy to think that they have done everything they can to reach their customers. They have created a help page, have run product/service promotions on social media, and worked hard on marketing. Despite this, there is still a chance that they are not being able to reach the actual customers.
The best way to get feedback is by asking the customers. Reaching the customers and asking them how they got to know about our organization and why they keep coming back. Listen to the feedback you receive and allow them to become an external part of your business model. Have feedback forums through which you can identify the needs of your customers and adjust your business model based on their feedback. It is precious information straight from those who matter the most.
Building Relationships:
One of the recent studies found that 80% of the customers are more likely to stay with the company if they have a personal touch with that company. Hence, it is very important for the company to make its customers feel recognized and appreciated for their loyalty. There are plenty of ways through which you can make your customer feel valued and needed.
One of the best ways to do that is by going into the market and communicating face-to-face with your customers rather than just advertising about customer loyalty on your website. Another way to do this is by informing them regularly about what you do. Do not assume that everyone knows everything about your company. Sometimes, it is good to spread information about your other products in person with your customers. This way, they might even get to know about some new products that are launched in the market.
For example, people love to go to farms where the farmers and growers sell their products directly. One of the reasons people attend this is because they enjoy the personal experience. Being able to interact directly with sellers, trying the products, and listening stories behind the products. Hence, why not implement this in your organization as well? Where you create such campaigns to meet face-to-face with your customers and show them how you process. This even helps to build and strengthen the bond of trust between the buyer and seller.
By establishing this relationship, you are informing your customers that you want to provide them with a holistic experience of the range of their products and not just a product, which will keep them coming back for more and more.
Communicate often:
Once you have established a relationship with your customers, make sure to keep the channels of communication open. Keep sharing news about your new products, upcoming sales and promotions, along with any big or small changes you are planning for your business.
But when you are talking about communication, do not overload the mailbox or the inbox of your customers. Make sure you are doing this at proper intervals. This might turn your customers away.
Give your customers just more than your offering for the money that they pay, and you will receive the loyalty in return. When a customer feels known and valued, they will keep coming back again and again.
These pointers will help any organization not just create a strong foundation and customer loyalty, it will also help the organization stay connected with their existing customers. Hence, next time whenever you feel you are losing sight of your customers, read these pointers to get them back.
Compiled by Faber Priyal & Faber MayuriÂ
