As a salon owner in today's less-than-pleasant economy, it may seem that more and more of your customers are opting to cut ties with your salon in order to cut every ounce of fat out of their budgets. Today, most people are making their decisions based on the almighty dollar. And there's so much competition out there, that your clients can typically find another business to give them products and services for less than you do.
As such, it has never been more critical to establish strong, genuine connections with clients. Without these connections, your products and services can easily get lost in a sea of noise and similar offerings. However, when you provide better service and support than your competition, your customers won't go anywhere, and those who do will come screaming back.
"You have to create strong emotional connections with your clients that won't quickly be cancelled out when they find a better deal somewhere else," says Maribeth Kuzmeski, author of “...And the Clients Went Wild! How Savvy Professionals Win All the Business They Want.” In the book, she lays out a blueprint for cultivating loyal clients and generating growing sales through a collection of principles and tactics that have proven successful for others. The idea is to trigger a strong emotional connection in the minds of prospects and clients – followed by a response that is so powerful that your loyal clients won't be able to stop talking about you.
"What many business owners don't want to admit is that great companies – big and small – have maintained their loyal customers, even in these hard times," Kuzmeski shares. "Loyalty does still exist for companies that have a deep understanding of their customers' wants and needs."
To turn your customers into fans for life, Kuzmeski advises:
Surprise them by always going the extra mile. People expect great service from luxury companies such the Ritz-Carlton or Rolex. But they don't always expect great service when they aren't paying top dollar for a world-famous brand.
"With luxury brands, you pay a lot and you get a lot in return," she says. "That's how it is supposed to be. But you can create the same kind of loyalty to your brand by simply going the extra mile when people might not expect you to. Recently, for example, I was leaving a Holiday Inn and saw that the manager was standing at the door saying good-bye to all of the guests. He asked me how I enjoyed my stay and whether I stayed at the Holiday Inn a lot. He told me that he really wanted to see me back at his hotel again and offered me a discount on my next stay.
"These were simple gestures, but he took the time to make a personal connection. He made an effort to have meaningful conversations with his guests … and it didn't cost him a penny to do that. He went out of his way to provide great service."
Give them something to talk about. To get your clients to go wild about you, you have to give them something to talk about – something just a little more exciting than what your competition is doing. Give them a reason, and they will keep coming back.
"My 'something to talk about' is often my business card," Kuzmeski explains. "Instead of your run-of-the-mill card, my business card more closely resembles an NFL or MLB trading card. It features a picture of me in a football jersey and all of my stats – my weight, height, age and college alma mater. People absolutely love it. I am constantly asked who designed it for me and whether I can send them more. In fact, just recently, I was in a business meeting, and everyone was passing around their business cards. When I passed out my card, it set off a 10-minute conversation about how unique it is. I guarantee you there are people out there who still remember me because I handed them this one-of-a-kind business card."
Go after referrals, not new clients. We all do it. When times get tough, we tend to avoid difficult conversations with clients. But what we should really be doing is getting in front of them and showing that we truly care about our relationships with them.
"I was recently approached by a financial advisor client of mine," Kuzmeski states. "He had gotten new clients only through referrals his entire career, but recently his referrals had dried up. His reaction was that he needed to just go out and find new clients. The truth, of course, is that he needed to get in touch with the clients he had already been working with for years.
"In today's business climate, you have to get out from behind your desk … even when the conversations might be uncomfortable for you," she adds. "People do business with people they trust, with people who they feel have their backs. And those are the kind of people clients will want to refer to their inner circle."
As such, it has never been more critical to establish strong, genuine connections with clients. Without these connections, your products and services can easily get lost in a sea of noise and similar offerings. However, when you provide better service and support than your competition, your customers won't go anywhere, and those who do will come screaming back.
"You have to create strong emotional connections with your clients that won't quickly be cancelled out when they find a better deal somewhere else," says Maribeth Kuzmeski, author of “...And the Clients Went Wild! How Savvy Professionals Win All the Business They Want.” In the book, she lays out a blueprint for cultivating loyal clients and generating growing sales through a collection of principles and tactics that have proven successful for others. The idea is to trigger a strong emotional connection in the minds of prospects and clients – followed by a response that is so powerful that your loyal clients won't be able to stop talking about you.
"What many business owners don't want to admit is that great companies – big and small – have maintained their loyal customers, even in these hard times," Kuzmeski shares. "Loyalty does still exist for companies that have a deep understanding of their customers' wants and needs."
To turn your customers into fans for life, Kuzmeski advises:
Surprise them by always going the extra mile. People expect great service from luxury companies such the Ritz-Carlton or Rolex. But they don't always expect great service when they aren't paying top dollar for a world-famous brand.
"With luxury brands, you pay a lot and you get a lot in return," she says. "That's how it is supposed to be. But you can create the same kind of loyalty to your brand by simply going the extra mile when people might not expect you to. Recently, for example, I was leaving a Holiday Inn and saw that the manager was standing at the door saying good-bye to all of the guests. He asked me how I enjoyed my stay and whether I stayed at the Holiday Inn a lot. He told me that he really wanted to see me back at his hotel again and offered me a discount on my next stay.
"These were simple gestures, but he took the time to make a personal connection. He made an effort to have meaningful conversations with his guests … and it didn't cost him a penny to do that. He went out of his way to provide great service."
Give them something to talk about. To get your clients to go wild about you, you have to give them something to talk about – something just a little more exciting than what your competition is doing. Give them a reason, and they will keep coming back.
"My 'something to talk about' is often my business card," Kuzmeski explains. "Instead of your run-of-the-mill card, my business card more closely resembles an NFL or MLB trading card. It features a picture of me in a football jersey and all of my stats – my weight, height, age and college alma mater. People absolutely love it. I am constantly asked who designed it for me and whether I can send them more. In fact, just recently, I was in a business meeting, and everyone was passing around their business cards. When I passed out my card, it set off a 10-minute conversation about how unique it is. I guarantee you there are people out there who still remember me because I handed them this one-of-a-kind business card."
Go after referrals, not new clients. We all do it. When times get tough, we tend to avoid difficult conversations with clients. But what we should really be doing is getting in front of them and showing that we truly care about our relationships with them.
"I was recently approached by a financial advisor client of mine," Kuzmeski states. "He had gotten new clients only through referrals his entire career, but recently his referrals had dried up. His reaction was that he needed to just go out and find new clients. The truth, of course, is that he needed to get in touch with the clients he had already been working with for years.
"In today's business climate, you have to get out from behind your desk … even when the conversations might be uncomfortable for you," she adds. "People do business with people they trust, with people who they feel have their backs. And those are the kind of people clients will want to refer to their inner circle."
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar
Catatan: Hanya anggota dari blog ini yang dapat mengirim komentar.