Care about your customers!

You’ve heard it before but are you doing it? Are you making an effort to build a relationship with your customers? Are you doing the little things that set you apart? Are you consistently keeping in contact with your customers?

Did you know you are NOT in the business of selling a product?

So why would customers purchase products from YOU instead of picking them up from the stores? It is because of the RELATIONSHIPS you build with them. Yes, when you build relationships with those customers they will purchase from you when they NEED your products. This is why it is so important for you to build a good relationship with your customers.

In one of the chapters in the Build It Big book, it deals with building a repeat business. In it, Grace Putt says the secret to getting reorders is “Treat every customer exactly as you would want to be treated if you were a customer.”

I suggest you take it a step further since different people perceive things differently.

My suggestion is to treat your customers the way you want to be treated and also incorporate what you see successful businesses doing to take care of their customers. For example, maybe you’re not into preferred customer programs, coupons, bonus buys, mailed offers, or telephone offers so you think, “I’m not going to do that because I don’t like it.” But, obviously it works or thousands of companies would not be putting these programs into practice.

So, develop a plan that incorporates some of these programs and do them consistently! Consistency is the key! Remember, everyone likes to be appreciated and that should be your first step. Then, follow up with other programs.


 

Creating customer loyalty

 

Loyalty or satisfaction?

 

Even though loyalty and satisfaction are both important, which do you think is the most important?

 

Loyalty is usually the right answer because sometimes a customer can be dissatisfied with some aspect of your service or product, but stays with you. A loyal customer is much more likely to be forgiving of your mistakes. And a loyal customer is someone who appreciates how you resolve a problem and returns to you because of good service.

 

For example, perhaps you go to a restaurant and the food takes an extraordinary amount of time to arrive. Dissatisfied customers might complain—or worse, say nothing—and then never return.

But loyal customers, even if they are unhappy about the delay, are more likely to tell the owner the delay was too long, ask about the problem, and give the owner another chance to fix the problem.

Aiming for customer satisfaction is no longer enough.

 

You need to create loyalty so you get:

• Customers who are less likely to react to competitor promotions.

• Customers who are more likely to give you a chance to compete.

• Customers who are more likely to keep buying from you regardless of what the competition does.

 

Customer loyalty is behind the "80/20" business rule: 80 percent of your sales come from 20 percent of your customers.

Have you ever gone to the store and seen something you like and then hesitate to buy it because ...what if you don't like it?...what if it smells different than you thought it would?  

What if you took the chance and bought it anyway -  a lipstick at the store  looks exactly like the color you've been looking for and you buy it - get it home and try it on --- and you hate it!  It's nothing like you thought it was going to look like?  Now you're out $10!  Don't you hate when tha happens? 

Our Customers do too!  I shudder to think at how many "lost sales" we have each campaign when Customers look through the brochures and would like to buy something, but hesitate because it might not turn out like they hope?  And worst of all, Customers rarely ask for samples on all the products they hesitate to buy! 



TOP SALES & CUSTOMER SERVICE TIPS

5 Tips for Product Selling

  1. Listen well. Let your Customers talk so you can learn their needs and determine how your products or services can help them.
  2. Learn as much as you can about your products. You may come up with ideas to help them that they haven't thought of before.
  3. Make yourself approachable. Demonstrate that you're there to help satisfy their product needs.
  4. Emphasize the benefit of our products or services. Show how you can help customers through our Avon products.
  5. Follow up. Keep customers coming back by making sure your products or services work well for them. If not, show concern and fix things cheerfully.

5 Tips for Pleasing Customers

  1. Answer the phone with smiles on your face. Phone experts say customers will hear the smile in your voice.
  2. People who love people, are the happiest people . . .
  3. Remember to speak clearly and slowly enough to be understood--especially on the phone. Nothing turns off customers more quickly than impatient, sullen, or indifferent voice.
  4. Make sure you have a thorough understanding of your products and services so you can answer customer questions.
  5. Always try to meet your customer needs. Does a Customer have sensitive skin? Be sure to know how to make product recommendations.

5 Tips on Building Customer Relationships

  1. Courtesy and friendliness aren't enough. What customers really want is effective, efficient help.
  2. Meeting a customer face-to-face instead of just on the phone can make a huge difference in your sales.
  3. Thank customers for their referrals. One Top Sales Leader sends a small gift to customers who refer other Customers to her.
  4. Go the extra mile. One Representative was shorted a customer's product in her order. To make up for the inconvenience, she let the customer have a hand cream free.
  5. Don't lose the human touch. If most of your business is done via technology, you have to try even harder to make customers feel valued.

5 Tips for Building Your Referral Business

  1. Referrals always begin with providing your current customers with prompt, reliable, quality service. They'll be happy to spread the word on your behalf--often without you having to ask.
  2. Ask your current customers if they know of any friends or co-workers who are looking for the kind of service you provide. Follow up with a call or to those customers. Make sure you get your customer's permission to cite them as a referral source.
  3. If a customer compliments you on your work, ask them to put it in writing for use as a testimonial in your marketing materials. Again, make sure you have their permission to use their name for that purpose.
  4. Always acknowledge a customer's referral with a thank-you note or phone call. If you send a card, consider including a coupon or discount on a future purchase.
  5. Avon businesses lend themselves well to referral incentive programs with gifts, or discounts. Make sure these "rewards" fit in your budget.
  1. 5 Tips for Enhancing Sales
  1. Educate your customers. Entrepreneurs whose businesses are ahead of the curve need to help customers understand the value of their products or services.
  2. Put prospect identification on the front burner. Keep developing sales leads and cultivating the people or organizations most likely to become your customers.
  3. Make an offer the customer can't refuse.  Example:  Start a Jewelry Club.  If the customer buys 10 pieces of jewelry, she gest a piece of jewelry free.
  4. Don't give up. Persistence pays off--as long as it's friendly and helpful and not overbearing.
  5. Show customers that you're an asset to them. Prove you can improve their or enhance their lives.

5 Tips on Forecasting The Future

  1. Develop meaningful sales forecasts in terms of basic business units. Predict weekly sales for the first few months and monthly sales for the first year. Consider possible scenarios, such as a 10 percent rise or fall in sales.
  2. Develop profiles for your products or services, customers and markets.
  3. Know how customers will buy from you.
  4. Plan how you'll make your product or service available to them-- direct or internet.