6 Ways to Form a Better Connection With Your Customers

This is an age-old question. One that has dominated the minds of almost everyone who has thought about entrepreneurship connected to sales of products or services. How can a business create a connection between it and its consumers?

As one of the basic tenets of business is the give and take of any set interaction. The onus is on an individual or group of individuals to produce, and make available for purchase, services and goods that would inspire other people to make the decision to spend their money.  Thus creating a connection between the two groups. It only works because both sides of the transaction are gaining value. In order for there to be a chance of repeat business, both the consumer and producer have to be happy with arrangement through several variables such as product or service quality and price point.

Companies might choose to focus on other aspects of engagement with customers, and possible potential ones, by doing things like creating custom mailers and poly mailers and other treats and trinkets to keep customers focused on their brand and what that brand is all about. The offering of branded merchandise and promotional products to customers is one impactful way of doing this.

This appeals to the senses of the customer giving them something they can see, touch, and overall experience. Items like t-shirts, umbrellas, hats, and bumper stickers work especially wonderfully as customers tend to take them around, essentially giving the company free advertising. However, in addition to that, there are a multitude of ways company owners could take to foster continued relationships with their consumer base. We will get into the main ones right here.

What Are The Ways For Companies To Form Lasting Connections With Their Consumer Base?

1. Keep Consumers Informed – It is imperative that companies keep their customers in the loop. Whether it is the introduction of a new product or service, an upcoming promotion, or the latest blog post release. There are currently several ways to reach customers through an email, newsletters, push notifications onto their mobile devices, or even updating social media channels. Keeping customers updated lets them know more about the company’s business and, importantly, how it can bring value into their lives.

2. Exceed Customer Expectations – Companies should anticipate their customer needs by performing ongoing adjustment actions to improve their business and exceed whatever customers might have expectations. One of the ways companies could attempt to do that is through providing real time support for their customers. Through various means, for example a live chat, companies can gain insights and understanding of their customers’ journey and deliver proactive support to enhance their customers’ experience.

3. Create a Relatable Purpose – With so many options, customers choose the right company for them, sometimes based solely on strong ideological beliefs. This could mean a company being upfront with their charitable interests and donations or community outreach programs they choose to reinvest into the communities they serve. Companies should always be prepared to humanize their services so that they are easy and meaningful for customers. You know, even have them drive much of these initiatives and have it be a source of great pride that these customers are associated with a company that mimics their worldview.

4. Know Customer Preferences – Connecting with customers on a personal level is the key for companies to form lasting connections with them. With good reason as personalization increases loyalty, drives higher conversions, and ultimately increases revenue – well at least in theory. Companies should listen to their customers to identify their needs while giving their customers the option to choose while enabling them to opt-out when they wish. Mastering the use of customers’ preferences personalizes the experience and builds their confidence in a company and subsequently that company’s brand.

5. Tailor Communication Specifically For Customers – Because they seem more relevant to customers, tailored messages often require more attention. Some consumers prefer email marketing campaigns, others prefer brands to reach out to them through text messaging. Some might respond to a more formal tone, while others want companies to engage with them casually as if they’re old friends instead of a business and customer. The truth is different audiences prefer communicating with their company of choice in vastly different ways. Each time companies communicate with their audience, they should measure and assess customer responses to find out what works and doesn’t. Then, companies should  refine their communication strategies accordingly. Not only will this yield better results and higher engagement for each company, but it will also show customers that they are aware of and care about their preferences.

6. Rewarding Customers – If companies make it a point to reward their customers then they would feel appreciated and are far more likely to talk positively about those companies and would be more likely to recommend them to their friends. The knock on effect of companies rewarding their customers, it then incentivizes those same customers to make additional purchases. Rewarding customers in clever, unusual ways will both engender customers’ loyalty and give companies more cachet. Everybody wins.