Uncover the Power of Emotion in Business by Connecting with Customers
Many CEOs view potential or existing customers as rational agents who naturally flock to the business with the best service quality to affordability ratio. In truth, even big business decisions are often rooted in feelings. According to a study by Harvard University, 95% of all purchasing decisions are based on emotion.
Anything from ordering a plate of chips to buying a house will ultimately come down to: "How do I feel about this?"
As I recently spoke with a client who's the CEO of a successful construction company, I asked why they won't (as a CEO) call their customer in a congratulatory manner. The client is, after all, spending a fortune building a home with them.
"The minute I call them, they're always going to want to call me," answered the CEO. There was a level of angst about the likely burden of potentially becoming too involved with customer management.
Here are seven reasons why become removed and withdrawn from your core customer is a huge wasted opportunity:
Your customers are the very reason your company functions. Connecting with your client will help you understand how your business is performing in the eyes of a real customer.
A proactive phone call costs you nothing and leaves a lasting impression on the client.
Positive feedback will put you in a good mood, and negative feedback will help improve your business.
Say a customer now has your number and continues to complain to you: Why would you deny yourself this intelligence? They might reveal something pertinent about your product, service, team etc.
If the prospect of getting cold-called by clients at random hours makes you uneasy, help your client understand the best possible time and method to communicate with your company to solve queries, complaints and concerns.
Depending on the size of your business and the number of customers, you may need to consider which customers you specifically contact by dividing clients into segments. Ideally, you should seek a cross-section across segments for objective feedback.
Interacting with your customers sets a cultural tone for your organisation. If the CEO creates boundaries around customer contact and only reaches out when there's a major problem, what message does that send out? On the flip side, what's the message when calling customers is a natural part of your role?
Believe it or not, this actually is an unpopular stance among CEOs and senior executives. Given this, it becomes even more imperative to distinguish yourself from your competitors by taking the initiative to pick up the phone.
Recalling a seminar delivered by Gail Kelly, the former CEO of Westpac and St George Bank, several years ago, I vividly remember her views on customer service. She staunchly believed in the importance of maintaining a list of 5 customers on her office desk, which she would personally call each week. This practice was mandatory for all executives and line managers. Kelly emphasised the critical link between employee engagement and customer experience, recognising it as vital to their business's resurgence and triumph.
How engaged are you personally in PROACTIVELY connecting with your customers? How well is your business’ culture embracing the prospect of treating your customers as a great resource for business intelligence instead of a burden?
Grow your business without the pain!
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