Many businesses are great at making and/or selling products and services. Most can succeed at getting their message in front of their target market and getting some clientele. However, a critical point that is tough to perfect is retaining those customers - especially in today's business climate where much of the reputation and engagement is carried out online. The key to making a lasting enough impression for return business is understanding customers.
Rather than treating customers as simply a source of revenue, today's successful businesses give customers a more rounded-out experience. The first step generally involves getting shoppers to listen to the sales message. If a business is good at understanding customers, it should be able to devise a few messages based on the different types of buyers it has and get those messages specifically in front of those that are best to respond.
Step two in the process that leads to retention is emotionally connecting with shoppers. Understanding customers really boils down to the emotional drivers that motivate them. Many share similar drivers, but most will have differing emotions that would cause them to consider a purchase with a business. If marketing can stir the emotions and the company seems like it cares about its customers, this can raise feelings of trust and connection between a potential client and a business.
Finally, getting clients to participate in the business can seal the deal with keeping shopper's loyalty. A business can demonstrate that it is good at understanding customers by getting them involved in areas that don't necessarily strictly involve transactions, such as reviews, social media posts and live events. These efforts can also further humanize a business and win over the sympathies of its target audience.
Today's businesses have to take things a lot further in order to get loyalty and this is built upon simply understanding customers. What are some other ways that we can understand our clients?
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