No one could have predicted the full range of business challenges in 2020. And we’re not about to start predicting what 2021 will bring. But we do want to help you improve your interactions with potential and current customers. The more prepared you are to to provide great customer experiences, the better off your company will be.
Those experiences result in better customer relationships, which keep people choosing your business. You’ll never regret focusing on these people who matter most.
So we’ve outlined four customer-related business challenges that we’ve helped clients with this year, along with specific ways to create better customer experiences. You’ve possibly already dealt with these challenges, and if not, there’s a good chance you’ll deal with them next year.
The Challenge: No One Is Responding to Your Messages
It’s frustrating when you know you have the solution to someone’s problem and they won’t even give you a chance. Whether your texts have never gotten the attention you want or you’ve noticed a recent decrease in responses, there are a few things to always try.
The solution: Be engaging and human
Write messages that are easy to respond to by including personalized information, keeping messages clear and short, and asking open-ended questions. Show customers that you’re a real person who actively wants to help them.
Part of that also includes replying to their own messages quickly and naturally. Even when using canned responses or saved messages, customize them to the specific situation.
- Why don’t my text messages get more responses from customers?
- 5 things your business can do to get more responses from customers
The Challenge: Customers Don’t Care About Sales
There are a lot of reasons people don’t act on an offer or buy when you’re having a sale: it’s not a good deal; they don’t care about what’s included; people don’t even know a sale is happening.
Yes, for a business, a priority of sales and promotions includes making money and growing the customer base. But it’s also a great opportunity to show some appreciation to customers and improve those relationships.
The solution: Plan the right holiday promotions
The key to a successful promotion? A worthwhile offer that people actually know about. Holidays give you a simple excuse to treat your customers right.
An enticing offer delivered in the right way works wonders for boosting sales and trust with customers. Even without counting major holidays, plenty of niche holidays exist, and there’s definitely a handful that directly relate to your industry.
The Challenge: Prospects Aren’t Becoming Customers
As tempting as it is to blame the lack of conversion on bad leads, it’s hardly the sole reason. Though a lot of factors may contribute to prospects not buying, carefully evaluating the communication of marketing and sales will never hurt.
The solution: Be more customer-focused
Really take the time to understand what people need and want, applying this to every aspect of the marketing and selling process. It’s not just about the problem they hope to solve by coming to your business. You must also understood how they prefer to learn and communicate.
By focusing on each person individually and working to build real relationships, you communicate more effectively and convert more leads.
- Why leads don’t convert: Understanding the weaknesses of your lead nurturing strategy
- Text messages to send to improve relationships with prospects
The Challenge: Your Messages Sound Generic and Canned
Writing basic, reusable messages has its place. That place is as templates. Don’t let yourself get too comfortable using templates and canned responses. The lack of personalization and customization only comes back to hurt you. People ignore you, choose not to reply, and go do business elsewhere.
The solution: Try different methods of personalization
You have plenty of options for personalization, so try them all at different times. Again, you want customers to know there’s a real person available to help them. Continually connecting with people on a personal level benefits everyone.
- 7 personalized ways to connect with customers in a remote world
- Connect with customers during COVID-19: Industry use cases
- 5 tips to keep your conversations focused on customers