imagine a business where clients aren’t just transactions but valued relationships. At The Newsletter Pro, we’ve mastered the art of investing in our customers, whether it’s your project manager making a note of your favorite coffee shop, or your writer calling the office, just to see if your granddaughter has been born, we care about our clients, and here’s why it’s crucial.
Before I talk about the many ways we at The Newsletter Pro work to make our clients smile, I thought I’d go over why it’s so important for business owners in general to invest in their customers. Whether your business is in marketing or dentistry, veterinary care or storage facilities, you know that it’s your customers, clients, and patients that pay your bills. Why wouldn’t you want to roll out the red carpet?
Here are some reasons why investing in your customers is the best thing you can do for your business:
- Good experiences attract more business. If you’ve ever heard us talk about referrals, you know that new clients who come in as a result of a great referral (inspired by a great customer experience) are far more likely to stick around and make good customers than those who found your name in the phone book.
- According to Zendesk.com, 55% of those surveyed said that they’d be willing to pay 25% more for a product or service in exchange for superior customer service.
- When you invest in customers, you “earn” their business, thereby instilling a sense of loyalty. This doesn’t mean that your customer investments should be insincere–most clientele can smell insincerity a mile off. If you’ve given your customer a poor experience, it’s important to rectify the situation quickly and thoughtfully. Putting together a handwritten apology may be a time-killer, but that extra effort will go a long way in preserving your relationship. It’s especially worth it when you realize that 79% of those who’ve had a bad customer service experience tell others about that experience, and 85% warn others against using that company for any future business.
All these reasons aside, investing in your customers is especially important because it allows you to see the value in the service your company provides. Here at The Newsletter Pro, many of us love our clients, not because they pay our bills, but because they are incredible people who do amazing things. As a writer, I love hearing about the charity events our clients support and the adventures they have in their time away from the office. I love to hear about how much they love their families and how they created their own destiny by building a business that they love. Investing in them means that I get to talk to them every month, and that’s pretty cool.
Here are some of the ways we at The Newsletter Pro strive to make our clients feel welcome and appreciated:
- It all starts with the Welcome Packet. If you’re one of your newer clients, you may have already been privy to this excellent gift. Our Idaho-themed Welcome Package includes a jar of huckleberry jam, some Treasure Valley Salsa, potato bread, potato soup, Cracklin’ Gourmet Popcorn, and a handwritten note.
- If we know the date of your birthday or anniversary (typically relayed by your favorite writer or PM), we send a birthday or anniversary cake. Our Marketing Implementer, Vanessa, and Executive Assistant, Tracey, are even happy to customize your cake flavor if we happen to know your preference!
- We send flowers. If you or a family member has been in the hospital, you may have received one of our beautiful flower arrangements. Heck–we’ve even been known to send flowers if an animal close to your heart has passed away.
- We support your charities. On more than one occasion, we’ve been known to pass on our own support by donating to our clients’ causes. It’s all part of investing in our clients and the community they love.
- Our goal is to educate. Each month, we send out free gifts that typically include educational materials or baked goods. Helping our clients improve their own business is a priority of ours because we want our clients to succeed, just as much as they want it themselves.
The items listed above are just a few of the ways we, as a company, invest in our clients. How much of an “investment” are we talking about? Let’s just say that our typical UPS pickup is about 300 packages a month.
What does that investment bring us? Well, besides those great referrals and long-lasting relationships, we’ve found that investing in our customers has created friendships as well. When our Marketing Pro, Amanda, was moving into her new house, one of her favorite clients thought to send her a homemade housewarming gift, even including Amanda’s own quote, “Time is but a measurement of my limitations.” It was an incredibly thoughtful gesture, and the artwork itself will likely have a place in Amanda’s home for years to come.
As a business owner and entrepreneur, you have the opportunity to give your customers an incredible experience. Investing in them may just be the best business decision you could ever make. Start by prioritizing your clients and see how it can lead to lasting relationships, referrals, and business growth.
