Back in the day, when a little-known Seattle-based clothing retailer started turning heads with its exceptional service, you had to be pretty good to be noticeably different to customers. Nordstrom emphatically showed \u2014 through dramatic growth and the development of an iconic service brand \u2014 that customers respond to that proposition with their wallets.<\/p>\n
But decades have passed; now, the world seems to have grown smaller and faster, with the Internet \u2014 more often than not \u2014 becoming our cold, faceless sales clerk (with the occasional exception, like Zappos). You might wonder: Does a \u201cservice\u201d model matter anymore in this world of self-checkouts and online shopping? The answer is yes. In fact, it might matter more.<\/p>\n
Here my top five secrets to creating rapid, sustainable growth for your business while addressing your customers\u2019 needs:<\/p>\n
The organizations that succeed are infused with cultures that recognize that every single person in the world has a customer. I don\u2019t care whether you\u2019re a customer service rep, a CEO, or a 14-year-old freshman \u2014 everyone has at least one customer they\u2019re trying to please.<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t matter whether you\u2019re external-facing or primarily focused on \u201cinternal\u201d company tasks \u2014 everyone has a customer. The best organizations trumpet this fact and find ways to celebrate when their team members exceed a customer\u2019s expectations.<\/p>\n
This can happen through established recognition programs, or better yet, through one-on-one interactions with managers who recognize the team members who best serve customers. The focus shouldn\u2019t be on creating competition; it should be on making sure your team is thoughtfully considering your customers.<\/p>\n
That means \u2014 by definition \u2014 that your customer can\u2019t be everybody. The realization that not everyone is your customer may be just as important as acknowledging that everyone has one.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s been a lot of discussion surrounding the use of customer personas in marketing strategies to put shape to companies\u2019 customers. It\u2019s a practice we use often with clients, and it\u2019s a great way to dive deeply into your customers\u2019 unique wants and needs. Identifying the people you can best serve will, in turn, show you who isn\u2019t<\/i> your ideal customer.<\/p>\n3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/b>Understand What Your Customer Is Hiring You For<\/b><\/h2>\n
I\u2019ve seen many businesses (including our own) become more interested in what they would like to sell than in what their customer would like to buy. But that doesn\u2019t make any sense, does it? Ask yourself whether you really understand what your customers want to buy \u2014 and whether you\u2019re delivering what they want.<\/p>\n
Recently, I worked with a client whose sales were falling off dramatically. After a quick examination, it was apparent that the company\u2019s product had become commoditized, but was still being marketed at a premium. I asked, \u201cWhat extra value is the customer getting?\u201d His answer was \u201cnone.\u201d He then said, \u201cI know this is a problem, but our revenue projections require our pricing to stay at that level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anyone see a problem here?<\/p>\n
While you\u2019re at it, ask yourself whether you\u2019re delivering something valuable when you make a sale. In particular, ask yourself this key question: \u201cKnowing all that I know about our service and competitors, would I use my own money to buy from us?\u201d<\/p>\n
Are you sure about your answer? If you are, you\u2019re in business. If not, then you\u2019d better get to work. By pinpointing the problems you<\/i> have with the product \u2014 whether it\u2019s the size, fit, or ease of use \u2014 you can start outlining the problems your customers have with it.<\/p>\n5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/b>Say \u201cThank You\u201d<\/b><\/h2>\n
This may be the single easiest thing you can do to turbocharge your business. By sincerely<\/i> thanking your customer, you exponentially increase your chances of selling more in the future. Some of those sales will come through repeat purchases and others through referrals, but make no mistake: More sales will come your way.<\/p>\n
Can businesses grow simply by providing their customers with brand-new products to replace the ones they\u2019ve worn out, as Nordstrom did on its way to becoming legendary? Of course not! The businesses striving for quick growth will, however, take a page out of the Nordstrom playbook and pay attention \u2014 close attention \u2014 to everything surrounding their customers. Those businesses will be the ultimate winners.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Back in the day, when a little-known Seattle-based clothing retailer started turning heads with its exceptional service, you had to be pretty good to be noticeably different to customers. Nordstrom emphatically showed \u2014 through dramatic growth and the development of an iconic service brand \u2014 that customers respond to that proposition with their wallets. But […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1369,"featured_media":10386,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43902],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-professional-development"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n