Getting Back to Basics

“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” ~Sun Tzu

I hear from many business owners that they realize that marketing and advertising are two of the most important aspects, but how much to spend, where to advertise and the never-ending maze of all the new social media makes even the experienced business owners cringe.

How about taking it back to basics and use the slowly diminishing art of customer service to your advantage? Many businesses lose customers because the person that interacts with the customer doesn’t see the immense value in their interactions with each and every customer.  The cost of acquiring a new customer far outweighs the customer that is already trying to buy from you. This person at your business’s front door should be treated like royalty. Each customer that walks in your door has the power to market your business and sometimes at a much greater success rate than all the paid advertising you could do. A happy customer will spread the word to their contacts; however an unhappy customer will tell many more people of their bad experience with your company. Each customer should be thought of as someone who has the power to spread good things or bad things about your business. Which one do you want them to say about your business?

Here are five things you can do with your next customer that will go a long way in starting a no-cost marketing strategy for your word-of-mouth advertising. 1) Be available. Do not make it hard for the customer to reach you. If you are not open and available immediately to customers, your competition down the street very well may be. If a customer leaves you a phone message, make sure you return calls as soon as humanly possible. 2) Make sure your customer understands your product, service or specialty. You are in business for a reason. You love what you are doing or you would not be doing it, right? Tell the customer what you can do to help them or serve them. 3) Understand your customer. Talk to them. Ask them what it is exactly that they need or want and try to tailor your service to meet those needs. Get feedback from them immediately on how the process is going. Make sure they are understood and listened to. 4) Over deliver. Do not make promises you cannot keep and do go a few steps further than you promised. Everyone likes to get a deal or a little something extra or an extra surprise. When you go above and beyond, the customer will feel like they want to tell more people about what you did. 5) And the simplest but most overlooked thing you can do is say, “thank you!” Show your gratitude.  Make sure that telling your customers you appreciate them is built into the way you do business.

One way to find these customers is at our business mixers, with the next one being on May 8 at the Crescenta Valley Water District from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Hope to see you there!

For additional information, give us a call at (818) 248-4957 or visit our website at www.lacrescenta.org.

Please contact our office for more details on any event. How to reach us: (818) 248-4957/ crescentachamber@aol.com / www.LaCrescenta.org / 3131 Foothill Blvd., Ste. D.

  julia rabago