Are You Turning Away Potential Customers?

So many business owners focus primarily on the process of marketing and advertising, spending precious dollars for media ads, telemarketing and promotions. However, keeping the customers you do attract is a critical part of business success.

Think about how to make it easy for the customers to find you and want to do business with you. This calls for daily attention on the part of the business owner and all members of the staff.  Make superior customer service throughout your organization a key part of your overall marketing strategy.

Here are a few simple practices that will improve your bottom line.

Telephone courtesy:

• How does your business present itself every day to the people who call? This may be the first contact people have with your business. 

• Is your telephone receptionist pleasant, knowledgeable and glad the person called? Helpful? 

• Does she/he route the phone call to another courteous person who can help or perhaps refer the caller to another business that carries what the caller wants? 

• Does your receptionist offer to mail out brochures or other information on your products or services?

Hire employees who genuinely like people; train them in customer service and in your products and services.

Encourage them to handle each contact as an opportunity to keep the customer who was attracted to your business. Unless you are the only game in town, you cannot afford to ignore the daily inquiries from potential customers.

People remember where they were blocked and where they were helped. If you are helpful, they will respond to you; otherwise they will take their business elsewhere.

Signage:

• Can people find you? If people are responding to a printed advertisement, they will be looking for your address. 

• Is your company name clearly marked on an attractive sign? 

• Is your street address on the sign, building or door? Don't make potential customers guess if you're the one tucked in between the donut shop and the pet store. If they can't find you easily, they will patronize someone they can locate.

On the road:

An opportunity to make a lasting impression! It is  amazing at the number of companies that have paid good money to have their name, logo and telephone number painted on the side of their vans and trucks, only to offend people with aggressive driving behavior.

Will I remember the truck that tailgates me and then blows by to cut the next person off? Most likely. Will I ever do business with that company? Highly unlikely. Better they should save their advertising dollars and drive an unmarked vehicle.

Maintaining your customer base:

There are a number of software programs that will help you keep track of your customers, including personal information about them, their buying preferences, and their sales record with you.

Everyone wants to feel that their business is important to you. So if you are able to send them a reminder to have their eyes checked, buy their spouse a birthday present or just thank them for their business, you will reap benefits that far outweigh the time and expense on your part.

This is also an opportunity to ask your customers what they think of your products and services, and what suggestions they have for improving your business. Your customers are the ones who know what they want. Assuming that you know what they want can be hazardous to your business' health. See the sidebar for a book on surveying existing customers.

It is well known that it costs less to cultivate existing customers than to attract new ones. Take the time to think about ways you and your staff can do this.

 Attracting and keeping customers is part strategy and part common sense with a good dose of genuine caring about people. Every day your business will be presented with opportunities to secure new customers without a lot of effort.

Prepare your business and your team to take advantage of these opportunities.