Ok, so you've started your own business and you're pretty successful. Business is good, your product is selling well, and you're making enough money. But would you like more business? If the answer is no, then just stop reading.
This may sound like common sense, but there is something really simple you can do to help your business. It's simple when it's second nature, but getting there may be a little difficult. But you must get personal with your clients. And I'm not talking about creating a personalized product, although that is important. But you need to get to know your clients. Talk to them, get to know them. Customer experience, at times, may be more important than the product itself. People like returning to a store that has a staff that have good personalities. This is important in any kind of business.
For example, let's say you own a coffee shop and bakery. You notice the same elderly couple comes in every day around 10 am for coffee and a bagel. You could very easily say that you notice that they come in frequently and would like to introduce yourself. This gives you a way of finding out their names so that when they come in, you can greet them personally. There are other ways to personalize. You may notice that the lady often orders different flavored lattes. Let's say you're developing a special flavor, like an almond joy mocha. It includes shots of almond and coconut flavorings as well as the regular mixings of a mocha. The next time they come in, ask the lady if she would be interested in trying your drink, on the house. The reason you are giving it on the house is because it isn't exactly what she was probably planning on ordering, plus, you're getting an opinion from an obviously loyal customer. This is actually an example from my younger days of working in a bagel shop. We were developing new coffee concoctions and one of our loyal customers that came in daily helped us to develop a really delcious mocha.
I know everyone isn't the best at talking with people, but there are great ways to overcome this. I am currently taking a Dale Carnegie course. His book, How to Win Friends and Influence People is really great. I was a skeptic at first, but have found it to be very useful, especially in my personal life for relating and working with other people. If you really wanted, you could take a Dale Carnegie course, or even a public speaking course at a local community college. But getting out there, getting to know your customers, and using their loyalty to your advantage can really be a win win situation.
Happy Marketing
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