Entries Tagged 'Customer service' ↓

Although this is being written from a copywriter’s point of view, what follows applies equally to all professions.

As my mum always used to say to me…

“Treat others as you would like to be treated.”

And she wasn’t wrong (not with that piece of advice anyway).

Rather than go into reams of text arguing my point, below are a few simple things you can do to add value to your relationships with your clients:

1. Listen

Simple and yet often over looked.

The only way you will fully understand the project is by being attentive, taking notes and asking loads of questions to clarify precisely what is required.

Never try to guess at what your client wants. If you don’t understand or the brief is unclear, ask for clarification. They’d much rather you did that than submit work that is completely wrong.

2. Ask what they want

As a professional writer, never be tempted to take a brief and then write what you think they should have.

Ask what they are looking to achieve with the project and how they want to be perceived by their readers. If you can see an obvious disconnect, talk it through with them and suggest an alternative plan.

3. Promises, promises

Yes, you are going to want to promise your new client the earth. But promising unrealistic deadlines or outcomes will only lead to disappointment.

When agreeing a deadline, make sure it’s achievable.

4. Update regularly

Writing is a solitary profession, but that doesn’t mean you can cut yourself off completely.

Regular contact (email or phone) will keep your client in the loop so they know exactly what’s happening and what stage you are at with the project.

There’s nothing more frustrating than hiring someone to do a job for you who you then don’t hear from for weeks.

5. Contactability

Ok, that’s not actually a word, but it should be.

If your client can’t get hold of you easily, you are going to seriously hack them off.

Granted, you’re not going to be able to answer your phone every second of the day and you are allowed a few breaks, but if they leave a message, phone them back. If they send you an email, reply to them within an hour or two (if possible).

By giving them various contact options such as phone (landline and mobile), email and Skype, you are making yourself accessible.

6. It was me

Things do go wrong – yes, even to you.

No one is perfect, so if you make a mistake, own up to it. If you try to bluff your way out of a bad situation, you’ll only make it worse.

Your client will think more of you if you say “Yes, I made a mistake” and then put it right.

7. Thank you

They may be two small words, but they are very powerful.

It doesn’t take a lot to thank them for their business, so make sure you do.

Over to you

Do you have any little tricks you use to keep your clients happy?

Leave a comment below and let’s see how many different ways we can come up with.

Every business has to do marketing in some form or another.

Large corporations have their own dedicated marketing departments who take care of everything leaving the big boss to concentrate on other more important things…like golf.

But what happens when you are small business or a one-man-band?

You are unlikely to have an enormous marketing budget so most of the work will probably fall on your shoulders.

All of sudden you have to be everything to everyone – you’re the Finance Director, Operations Director, Marketing Director etc. And, unless you happen to be a very rare breed of superhuman, you’re not going to be an expert in all of these fields.

Marketing melee

What do you think of when you think marketing?

The promotion of your business can take many forms:

• Website
• Brochures
• Email marketing
• Press releases
• Case studies
• Direct mail
• Blogs and articles

And that’s just for starters. But what do you really know about each of those? Probably not a lot other than what you’ve read on blogs like this one.

The words that you use within your marketing materials are vital. Most people put graphics and images first not realising that it’s the words that will do the selling. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you hit the right tone. So to help inject some life and zest into your marketing materials it’s a great idea to find yourself a professional copywriter who can take the burden from you and create amazing copy that will really work.

Going it alone

If you decide to go it alone, marketing can seem an endless job. No sooner have you finally revamped your website copy you realise that your brochure is now out of date.

The launch of a new product or service means press releases, new website copy again, email marketing, perhaps even flyers.

Marketing is a constant merry-go-round.

So what happens when you wake up in the morning and really can’t face doing any marketing?

Do you just sit back and take the day off?

Although tempting, it’s unlikely to do your business any good. If you really can’t face it, be productive with your time and do something else; something that is equally important and that your customers demand.

Going the extra mile

Marketing will obviously get your message out into the marketplace and get your business noticed. But there is something else that your customers want that will really set you apart from your competitors.

What’s your customer service like?

Let’s go back to the morning when you wake up and really can’t face doing any marketing. Rather than nothing, invest some of your time in enhancing your customer service.

What do customers want? That’s easy to answer. You are a customer so think about what’s important to you.

When approaching a new company, their attention to detail is what will get them noticed over and above everyone else. You want a company that welcomes you, one that offers advice, one that isn’t pushy and one that has great after sales service.

So if you want to stand out that’s what you have to emulate.

Exceptional customer service

If you’re exceptional customers will come back again and again and recommend you to others (how about that for a marketing idea).

What do you do once a customer has bought from you? Do you wave them goodbye and hope they come back or do you keep in touch?

Whether you get their permission to send them your emails or newsletters, or send a ‘how are you?’ card, keeping in touch with them and sending them advice (as well as future offers) shows that you’re a company that cares about its customers and is willing to go that extra mile to ensure they are happy.

So the next time you really can’t face writing your marketing materials, take a break from them and review your customer service instead. Making small changes within your business (such as creating an advice sheet that can be handed out with every sale) can make a huge difference to your customers and their perception of you.

Let’s face it customer service and marketing go hand in hand. Make a great impression every time you interact with a customer and they’ll spread the word generating new business for you.

Do you use any innovative customer service techniques to drive business? If so why not leave a comment below and share them.