17 ways to get more customers in 2017
An attendee at my 2 hour Customer Service Boot Camp for Employers, asked me if there was anything new he could do to get more customers? The look of desperation on his face told me he was aching for someone else to do the thinking for him. He was tired. It had been a long year and he had spent most of it trying to think of ways to motivate his team to provide excellent service and how to also generate new business.
A new idea for one business owner/manager could be a tried and tested winning way for another, so I put the call out to our clients and asked them all for 1 of the ways that motivated their staff and generated new business.
Ready. Set. Do.
1. After Hours/Weekend Info Sessions. Invite people to come and learn about your products/services. Add some nibbles and drinks and watch them file in.
2. Engage with your existing customers. Write personal thank you emails or cards, call to see how your products/service are working for them, greet them in your workplace. Customers like to do business with people they know and like.
3. Talk to your staff. Ask them what your customers would like more, better, different or less and ask this questions regularly. Customers needs and wants change.
4. Get social media savvy. On-line is where your customers research, compare and make decisions. Like it or hate it - it's here to stay.
5. Outsource. If the activity will delight you customers and you don't know how, don't have time or don't like to do it - give the task to someone who can.
6. Acknowledge effort. Personally and genuinely thank staff who provide the level of service you expect.
7. Schedule a Customer Service Boot Camp. Start 2017 with a customer service educated and motivated team.
8. Take a break. The best ideas often come when we are having fun and doing something completely unrelated to work.
9. Check out your competition. Do Better.
10. Seek feedback from an independent source. Mystery Shopper, Secret Shopper, Business Coach or trusted person who will assess your business like a customer would. Be willing to hear the good, the bad and the potential.
11. Ask for referrals. Happy customers will be happy to refer people to you if you make it easy for them. Create a flyer/brochure they can give to others.
12. Self Assess. Do you interact with your staff the way you want them to interact with your customers? Actions speak louder than words.
13. Give Back. Help out in the community and expect nothing in return. You will get something though - word of mouth respect and a reputation of caring.
14. Check the 7 Mistakes. Make sure you're not making any of them.
15. Encourage fun at work. Happy staff provide better service and happy staff = happy customers.
16. Jump up and down on the spot 3 times. I'm kidding. I'm just checking to see if you really are serious about getting more customers. If you're read this far you are, so you my friend deserve a reward - a discounted hard copy of my book "The A - Z of Service Excellence". $15 includes GST and Postage and Handling. Use Discount Code - REWARD2017. Applies until December 31st 2017. Spread the success and share this blog with your customers who work in or own a business.
17. Don't wait for perfect or it will be 2018 before you start. Test out your new ideas and get some feedback from the people who matter most - your customers.
And my tip - start 2017 with a Customer Service Analysis (CSA). In just 30 minutes you will confirm you have the right people, providing the right level of service in the right way for the whole year.