25 ways to amaze your customers business matters guide

A WORLDWIDE BUSINESS MATTERS GUIDE

CUSTOMERSAMAZE YOURWAYS TO

25

It’s no secret that the world of

business has changed.

In days gone by, it was enough to have the catchiest jingle, the glossiest brochure or the best looking product.

Now we live in an information age where our customers are inundated by marketing messages, media and all that other noise competing for their attention.

Never before have customers had more power. Instead of using just one supplier for a product or service, they can use multiple suppliers from different countries, and select them based on factors ranging from their price point to a product review they read on someone’s blog.

We’re living in a fiercely competitive climate for business – so here are the three little words that can make all the difference:

Amaze your customers.

The good news is that you don’t need crazy discounts, big budgets or publicity stunts with banners, hot air balloons or chicken suits.

Being amazing means doing small things that let your customers know that you care about what they want, and are willing to listen to what they need.

Being amazing is not as hard as you might think – it’s just a matter of making the right sort of effort in the right places.

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BUSINESS MATTERS GUIDE PAGE 2

Let’s start with a golden oldie. It costs five times more to win a new customer than it does to keep an existing one.

The key to any successful business is a steady customer base. If you can ‘wow’ your customers, they’ll come back to you. Keep on satisfying, and even amazing them, and you can be sure your resources are being used wisely.

It’s really that simple.

Prospecting for new customers is an essential part of any business, but amazing your current customers should be your number one priority. Why? Because regular customers:

• Areoftenlesssensitiveaboutprice–theyappreciatethe big picture

• Aremorelikelytobeinterestedinanyextraproducts or services

• Willhappilyrecommendyoutoothers

• Takelessofyourtimeandmoneytokeephappy

Are you ready to be amazing?

1. KEEP THE OLD MAKE NEW FRIENDS BUT

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Make your customers’ happiness your top priority.

Big corporations spend millions of dollars on advertising to tell customers how much they care about them, while cutting even more from their customer service budgets.

You can amaze customers by genuinely caring about what they think and giving them what they need. They’re thinking “me, me, me” – so make sure you’re not!

Of course, one of the best ways to breed this kind of culture is toleadbyexample.

Make sure your staff are all well-versed in your business’s customer service policies and show that you care about even the tiniest details – such as reserving the best parking spot for visiting customers, and not for yourself!

2. SHOWTHEM YOU CAREDON’T JUST TELL THEM


3.We’ve all visited those websites that make it just too damned hard! You can’t clearly tell what the company does, you can’t find the product info you want and even getting back to the homepage makes you almost lose the will to live.

The only way of contacting the company is through an online form that takes four days to get a response, and by that time you’ve found what you want anyway – on a competitor’s website.

Here are some quick tips to give your website the ‘wow’ factor:

• Ifyou’renotawebdesigner,getoneinforachat.They’llhelpyoutomake your website easy to navigate using a design that suits your business and your brand.

• Reading froma screen is different to reading fromapage, sobigchunksoftextjustdon’twork.Usebulletpoints,plentyofheadingsand short, readable sentences to create easy-to-read web copy.

• Ifyoursitehasmorethanafewlinesoftext,it’sworthhiringanexpertto optimise your content – they’ll research and include the keywords that will appeal to both search engine robots (to get a higher search engine ranking) and to your human website visitors.

• Thinkfromyourcustomers’pointofview–whyaretheygoingtoyourwebsite, and what do they want from it? Tell customers who you are, what you do and how they can get hold of you. Give them a reason to visit and they’ll choose to stay.

WOW THEMWITH YOURWEBSITE

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Know of a business which exists to seamlessly administrate world-class leadership skills as well as to collaboratively utilise unique catalysts for change?

Business language is a trap. We integrate, unify, synergise and revolutionise leveragable deliverables – and nobody is quite sure what we mean.

We all fall into the habit of repeating corporate jargon. But using it doesn’t makeusseemsmarter,moreprofessionalormoreexperienced.Usingjargon makes us seem distant, aloof and like we don’t care whether people actually understand our messages.

To get rid of the waffle, you can:

• Use a shorter or simpler word when possible – instead of “utilise”, say “use”.

• Reduce technical jargon – “facilitate a Visioning Session” is really “hold a meeting”.

• Avoid clichés and buzzwords – ditch “customer-focused”, “best practice” and “strategic processes”.

Here’s the amazing part – no one will think less of your company if you remove the filler and make your reports, brochures, websites and manuals easier to understand.

In fact, they’ll love you for it.

4. QUITCORPORATEJARGON


Everyone is an expert on something – including you.

Blogs and e-zines are great, but sometimes it’s just nice to put something into the hands of your customer that they’ll want to keep on their desk and refer to.

Put your best tips into a handy booklet and give it out free to potential and existing clients. Don’t push your products too much – no onewants to read one big ad. Just be a reliable, interesting source of useful

information.

Let them order it from your website, send in a coupon from a print advertisement or pick one up in-store.

Give it a catchy title, too, like 25 ways to amaze your customers without flying a banner over the city, sponsoring a hot air balloon or doing anything that requires a chicken suit...

5. GIVE AWAY

A FREEBOOKLET

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If you make big promises and then fall short on delivering them, you’re not likely to get a second chance with that customer.

To be amazing, you should under-promise and over-deliver (instead of the other way around) by looking for small ways to add value to your customer’sexperience.

Say you’re running a car repair service. If your customer is picking their car up at 4pm, make sure it’s ready by 3pm. Even if something goes wrong at the last moment (delaying the repairs by 20 minutes), it won’t be your customer who is left waiting.

Or if you’re having a set of important documents delivered to a customer, orderthecourierforanhourearlierthanyourcustomerisexpecting.

These small things don’t cost your business any more, but can turn a first time customer into a happy, regular one.

Don’tjustmeetyourcustomer’sexpectations–exceedthem.

6.DO MORETHAN YOU SAYYOU WILL


Everyone says their business is the best at something. Add credibility by proving it with a shiny trophy or framed certificate.

There are loads of industry awards around, and your business could be winning them right now. Often the pool is smaller than you imagine, particularly in local and industry-specific competitions.

Give it a try – it’s not as hard as you think. Ever heard that 90% of winning is just being there?

If you don’t think you have time, enlist the help of a professional team to research and write award submissions for you. Or you could even create or sponsor your own industry award and encourage your clients or staff to enter.

7. BECOME ANAWARD-WINNINGBUSINESS

“ I just want to thank everybody I’ve ever met in my entire life.

– Kim Basinger

“

It’s not enough to do great things if nobody knows about them.

Public Relations (PR) can get your best side seen by your customers as news in the places they’re

already looking – newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and the internet.

ExperiencedPRguruscanputtogetherpressreleases that drip newsworthiness and help your business to establish relationships with opinion-forming contacts in the

media. With persistence, you can even become a source of reliable and lively comment on issues affecting your industry.

Some studies show that editorial has up to seven times the credibility of advertising. Amaze your customers when the media represents you as an industry leader, an award-winning innovator or a green-conscious thought-leader.

Best of all, it’s not advertising – it’s news. Amazing.

8. GET YOUR

NAMEIN LIGHTS


9.A picture speaks a thousand words – so what’s your logo saying about your business?

Your logo should capture the essence of your business – and what makes you unique.

Unless you’re a graphic designer, a home-made logo and branding set might be sending out the message that you’re not really serious about what you do or sell. If your logo looks low-quality or old-fashioned, think about what that says about the rest of your business.

Ifyou’renotsurewheretostart,takeyourideastoanexpertdesigneror branding consultant. They can help you to figure out what’s working, and what’s not, with your corporate image.

Make sure your logo is saying amazing things about your business.

GET SOME

COSMETICWORK DONE

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Every piece of material your marketing department puts in front of your customers may be slick, perfectly aligned with your brand and brilliant – but what about the rest of your business?

Think about your brusque IT automatic reply message, the peeling sign on your front door or your bland invoices...

Customers don’t only see what your marketing department produces – they encounter several different parts of your organisation.

Here are some ways to make every customer touch-point amazing:

• Walk the walk – Get your team to help map out your customers’ typicalexperience,fromthatfirstcalltoyourreceptionorcallcentreto the final invoice or reminder letter, to find out where the sharp edges are.

• Talk templates – Get marketing or a professional copywriter to create a series of templates for standard letters and emails and make sure all employees know where to find them.

• Be on-brand – Have your invoices, forms and other regular communications redesigned to match the rest of your brand.

• Capture communication issues – Meet regularly with other departments to share customer feedback and solutions.

10.MARKETINGMOVE OVER


Everybody likes free stuff, but pens, mouse-mats and stress-balls are passé, and there’s only so many notepads one person can use in a year.

Make your giveaways relevant to your business and actually useful – because the more useful they are, the more impressed your customers will be.

• Technologycompany?GetsomeUSBflashdriveswithyourcompanyname on them.

• Cateringfirm?Hardlolliesbrandedwithyourcompany’slogo,brandedbar mats or aprons could be perfect.

• Financialservices?Lookintoengravedmoneyclips,brandedpiggybanks or embossed folders so your customers can keep track of their

cash.

Find a corporate gift that’s practical, relevant andspeaks volumes about your business –

and your customers will think of you whenever they use it.

11.DITCHTHE MOUSE-MAT

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It’s a badly-prepared army that sends its troops to the frontline with no basic training.

Being the first point of contact for a customer is being on the frontline. You never know who or what is coming, so your staff members need to be equipped with standard procedures and contingency plans.

Here are some quick tips for amazing phone service:

• Don’t think of phone calls as an inconvenience – Without your customers, you don’t have a business.

• Answer promptly and enthusiastically – After the third ring, each ring not followed by a pickup reduces goodwill and increases impatience. It suggests to your customer that they’re not important enough for you to answer their call. Also, give your company and name, and train your staff to do the same. Don’t make a customer guess or have to ask if they’ve reached the right place, or the right person.

• Write down the caller’s name as soon as they introduce themselves and use it as often as possible – People like hearing their name and it helps establish a rapport.

• Be prepared – Don’t put them on hold while you find a pencil, finish talking to colleagues or rummage for price lists and other commonly-used objects that should be nearby.

Customer service staff should be trained to deal with customers in a way that works best for your company’s reputation – and it’s worth devoting money and time to.

12.DON’T BEPHONE-Y

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Business cards are a widely used, and yet underused, promotional tool.

Think about how you use your business card. Is it just a source of your name and number? Does it contain a list of your services? Is there a place to write appointment times or scribble product specs?

Here are some ways to make your business card amazing:

• Get it professionally designed so it matches your other promomaterial.

• If you’re always writing on the back of it (appointments, productdetails), only get one side laminated so you don’t end up with streaky scribbles.

• Putamagnetonthebackforcustomerstostickituponafridge.

• Putsomethingusefulonit,likeamaptofindyou,alistofservicesoryour opening hours.

13. MAKE THE MOST OFYOUR BUSINESSCARDS


Having big-name clients is likely to attract more big-name clients. And one way to land the big fish is to submit amazing proposals and tenders.

But you don’t want your meticulously researched tender to sit on a customer’s desk gathering dust – it needs to be read.

Proposals, reports and tenders aren’t just dumping grounds for facts and figures. They are where art and science should unite to produce finely crafted, accurate and, above all, absorbing capsules of data and information.

• Remember toonly answer thequestionsasked–don’t cramyourtender with every piece of information about your company, services or policies you can find.

• Useimages,diagrams,graphsandtablestobreakupbigblocksoftext–andgetitprofessionallydesignedtogiveitthatextraedge.

If you’re not sure how to go about fine-tuning your tender, professional writers and wordsmiths can help you reduce your 400-page monster into a polished document that has more chance of winning than being condemned to the dreaded ‘round file’.

14. AMAZE YOUR

YOUR AMAZINGCUSTOMERSCUSTOMERS WITH

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Sometimes, what you have to offer is simply not what a customer is looking for.

But it doesn’t have to be the end of your relationship. Be honest and accept that this doesn’t have to reflect badly on you, because you can’t provide everything to everyone.

Instead, amaze customers by providing them with a useful referral to another business.

Heard your customer wants to get their office redone, launch a new website or buy some new fleet cars? Refer them to your

preferred supplier.

Not only will your customer be amazed at how helpful you are,

but your referrals could pay dividends when the favour

is returned.

15. SHAREYOURCUSTOMERS


16.Time is money and money makes the world go around and so on, but really it’s your customers who drive your business.

In a world where we’re increasingly feeling like just another number, a great way to amaze your customers is simply to know who they are.

Everyone responds better when you remember and use their name, ask about their last overseas holiday and enquire how young Tom is progressing at school.

Followthesetipstotransformyourselfintoa“peopleperson”:

• Don’t keep all the details in your head – consider investing in a customer relationship management (CRM) program to keep track of names, addresses, notes or complicated sales.

• Keep your data up-to-date – If emails bounce, it’s generally because the recipient has moved on, so just call up and introduce yourself to whoever has taken over their position.

• Keep track of personal stuff – Record notes like recent holidays, children’s ages and hobbies along with your clients’ other details.

• Use what you know – Send your customers a magazine article, internet news story or blog stream you know they’d be interested in.

Make the effort to make them feel special and your customers will reward you – with their business.

REMEMBERTHEDETAILS

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17.Greeting cards never go out of fashion. Why wait for Christmas and add just another card to the large piles your customers already receive?

Wouldn’t it be amazing for your customers to receive a branded birthday card with a nice birthday offer, a card to acknowledge the anniversary of their store opening or a Valentine’s Day card to say how much you LOVE their patronage?

You don’t even have to wait for an occasion. Made a mistake? After you’ve remedied the situation, a “Sorry” card in the mail, along with a nice “make-up” offer, will help rebuild bridges.

If you haven’t heard from a regular customer for a few months, tell them you’re missing them with a card. And if a customer has helped you out, or you just want to let them know you appreciate their business, send an old-fashioned “Thank you” card.

SEND A CARD

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If you’ve already got a newsletter, make it a regular one – nothing shows lack of commitment like a one-off newsletter. Schedule the time to put it together, or hire someone to write it for you.

Decide if you want the newsletter to provide news about your business, useful information for customers or even give customers the opportunity tocontributetoexpertarticles.

• Make sure you don’t send anything before you’re familiarwith thelaws against spam emails. It’s inconvenient and embarrassing to be registered as spam.

• First, sendoutan introductoryemail toyourcontactsasking themto “opt-in” to your mailing list, and make sure every email newsletter following that has the opportunity to “opt-out” at the bottom.

• Linkyoure-newslettertocontentonyourwebsite,andaddalinkonyour website back to the newsletter.

• Encouragecustomerstoforwardthenewslettertotheircontactsandgive potential contacts a chance to sign up through your website.

Whether you choose a traditional newsletter or an online one, make sure your articles are lively, fairly short and full of useful information.

Amazeyourclientsbygivingthemthechancetoreadfreeexpertadvicefrom your business.

18.WRITE AN E-NEWSLETTER


19.Blogs (or “weblogs”) aren’t just for teenagers looking to spread their angst. Increasingly, professionals use blogs as a way to get their expertise noticed, give customers advice and keep their websites fresh and interesting.

• Blogsdon’t have tobe long,orpersonal. If youowna reticulationbusiness you might put up a weekly water saving tip, or a financial adviser might put up a simple way to save money every day.

• Yourblogdoesn’tneedtobetime-consuming–but ifyou’rebusy,hire a professional to write several blogs at once using your notes, which you can then post over a longer period.

• SocialnetworkingsitessuchasFacebookarealsoawaytoconnectwithyourclientsorjustexpandyourcontactnetwork.Thesesitescanbe a great way to get your name and brand out to a whole different audience – even politicians are using them now.

• Beware of putting intellectualproperty on social networking sites likeFacebook.Theagreement youaccept before joining often gives the

site ownership of any original material you put on there.

Establish yourself as an expert in yourfield, a techno-savvy innovator and

impress your customers with free, helpful knowledge.

START A BLOG

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THROW A PARTY

Most dedicated professionals are always looking to increase their skills and knowledge. Another way to share your knowledge and amaze customers is to hold a free event or training session in your area of expertise.

Forexample,ifyourunasmallbusinesslawfirm,youcouldinviteclientsto workshops on regulations that relate to their industry.

If you run a beauty salon, invite your customers to sample a new range of products at a sun-downer event held in the salon.

If your companyproduces cardboard boxes, host a training event toencourage your customers to become more environmentally friendly.

The possibilities are endless! Just make sure you have a useful subject (‘Tips for Buying Used Heavy Equipment’ or ‘Taking Advantage of Investment Trends’) and keep it fairly short. If you don’t have an appropriate room onsite, hire a seminar or meeting room in a classy venue and make sure you provide refreshments.

Hosting a successful event is a great, inexpensive way to buildrelationships with your customers.

20.

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Go visit your customers, and invite them to visit you.

What better way to give yourself or your staff the opportunity to really see how your customer uses your product or service, and how you might be able to do better, than to see them using it? They’ll be glad to show you, and it lets them know that you care and are actually interested in what happens beyond the sale process.

It works both ways too – invite customers to come and see your office, or your production facility. Desk-jockeys will love an outing

where they get to wear hard-hats or safety gear, and it shows them how you work to serve

their needs.

21. ENCOURAGEEXCURSIONS


ENCOURAGE 22.Sometimes it’s just easier to assume that your customers like everything you do. They’re buying your products, using your services. They must like it, right?

To truly amaze your customers, you have to ask them what they think – and actually listen to the answers. You’ll soon hear the suggestions you need to improve your business for them.

There are lots of simple ways to get feedback:

• Email/internet surveys – if you have a mailing list or some regular contacts, you can do an email or internet survey. Lots of sites can let you track responses from your own questionnaires. Once again, don’t be a spammer – be sure you’re familiar with spam regulations before you email anything.

• Paper surveys – Similar to online surveys, but using an old-fashioned penandsomecheck-boxes.Popacustomercaresurveyinyournextdelivery, or let your customers pick up one from your premises on theirnextvisit.

• One-on-one – Ask your most important customers if they can spare a bit of time to provide some detailed feedback. Develop a set list of questions to ask all interviewees so you can compare the results easily.

Don’t be scared of getting feedback. Your customers will be grateful that you asked and amazed at the value you give to their opinions.

FIND OUT WHATYOU CAN DOBETTER

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Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. But you can amaze them by doing something politicians and most big businesses seldom can – saying sorry.

If you make a mistake, here’s what to do:

• Act quickly – It’s tempting to hide the problem for a while and hope it’ll go away. It rarely does. Deal with it before it gets worse.

• Own it and be honest – Maybe it wasn’t your fault, but that doesn’t matter. If you represent your company to the client, own the mistake. Mistakes happen to everyone, and clients will be surprisingly understanding if you’re honest about what’s happened and the consequences. Honesty breeds respect and good customer relations.

• Apologise sincerely and be gracious – Be sympathetic, and don’t be defensive. Initially, your client will probably be angry about the mistake. That’s understandable, so you need to accept their reaction graciously. Often, any bad feelings will be forgotten quickly with the right follow-up.

• Make up for it – Do something for your client to make up for the inconvenience and loss of time or money. Give free offers, refunds or added-on services. This isn’t about the actual offer (although make it decent – weak offers are further insult), it’s about showing your customer that you recognise they’ve been inconvenienced and you want to make amends.

Graciously admit mistakes and you’ll amaze customers you thought were lost forever.

23. TURN MISTAKESINTO SECONDCHANCES


24.You’re an expert at what you do. Provide your customers with the best version of your business by getting the help of other experts when you need it.

Contract an accountant for end-of-month reports if you don’t have a head for numbers, or to organise your invoices if suppliers aren’t being paid promptly.

Get the help of a copywriter if the words are stuck on the tip of your tongue.

Ask an IT consultant to visit you to provide recommendations on software programs that could improve the way you do business.

Haveagraphicdesigner fixup those roughedgesof yourbranding,or a web designer update that website that hasn’t been touched since 2001.

By enlisting the help of professionals, you can focus on what you do best – and your customers will reap the benefits.

GET

ON YOUR SIDEEXPERTS

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You’re not just in business, you’re a customer too.

Useyourexperienceatthemercyofotherbusinessestohelpyoudecidewhatyouwantyourcustomer’sexperienceofyourbusinesstobe.Howcan you make it amazing?

Forexample,it’stimeforyourannualdentalcheck-up.Aweekbefore,you receive a friendly reminder call to confirm your appointment. When you arrive on the day of your appointment, you’re greeted by name by a beaming staff member who ushers you into a pleasant waiting area and offers you a glass of water.

You’ve barely even opened the first glossy, new magazine when you’re greeted happily by your dentist, again by name, and led to the chair. The room is spotlessly clean and bright, giving you confidence that you’re in experthands.

When your check-up is finished, your dentist gives you a brief update of your dental health, presents you with a toothbrush in a branded bag of dental goodies and escorts you back to the reception area. Another staff member processes your transaction and schedules your nextappointment, providing a slick appointment card before sending you off with a friendly goodbye.

Nobody likes going to the dentist, but don’t you want to go there?

Develop a vision of the service your own customers will receive that is just as amazing. Think out every little detail and then make it happen by training your staff and setting up processes. Perfection doesn’t take luck, but planning and hard work.

25. WORK OUT HOW

CUSTOMERS TO FEELYOU WANT YOUR


TO FEEL

We’ve given you a lot of ideas, but we really can’t tell you exactly what will work for your customers.

Why? Because your service is unique. Your customers are unique.

What are your clients looking for? Ask them and find out.

Then:

• Marketyourselfsoyouappealtothataudience

• Fityourcustomerserviceandproductstotheirneeds

• Gothatextramiletokeepthemhappy

They’ll be amazed.

THE GREATEST

CUSTOMER SERVICEINNOVATION EVER...MARKETING AND

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And we’d like to help you to keep your customers happy, so this Business Matters Guide is full of tips you can use to amaze, impress and retain your customers.

So please flip this over, start reading – and enjoy.

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25 ways to amaze your customers business matters guide

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