5 Keys to Building Better Customer Relationships

by James Himm Mitchell, M. A.
LifePlan Coaching & Consulting

Your business's relationship with its clients and customers is extremely important to its success. If you can make them feel valued from the first time you interact with them, there's a much better chance that they'll keep buying your products and services. Here are 5 tips to building strong relationships with your clients and customers.
 
1. Know Your Audience
 
Get as much data as possible about your customers. Try to know them on a one-on-one basis. Research clients before you talk to them so that you know what they are about. Meeting the needs of your audience is directly dependent on you understanding what these needs are.
 
2. Make a Good First Impression
 
Make sure that you have a strong internet presence that shows your business in the best light possible. Your online efforts should communicate what your business is about and also engender trust. You should have a friendly-looking website and a strong social media presence.
 
3. Build a Strong Network
 
In my last few articles, I’ve mentioned the importance of building a network and nurturing your relationships with its members. The people in your network can easily turn into clients or customers. This is a much more lasting relationship than someone simply purchasing your service or product.
 
4. Maintain Multiple Lines of Communication
 
One purpose of your internet presence is to come into contact with your customers and clients in as many places as possible. This engenders trust and gives you many touch points with them. You'll get to know each other much better.
 
5. Make and Keep Them Happy
 
Happy customers and clients come back to buy more. It's really that simple. Focus your efforts on satisfying your customers and clients. Sometimes it's good to give them something valuable completely out of the blue like a service upgrade or a freebie just to surprise and wow them.
 
Over to You
 
Which of these do you focus on? Which of these will you focus on going forward?
 
And stay tuned for next month’s article—which will have 5 more keys to building better relationships between you and your customers.