Thanks to the Internet, consumers are savvier than ever.  They do their research before they buy.  They comparison shop.  They’re more demanding in what they want from product and service providers.

Gone are the days where consumers were loyal to products or brands.  However, consumers ARE loyal to the PEOPLE they do business with.

So how do you develop a customer-centric focus that keeps customers coming back time and time again?

Here are 5 ways to get you started:

  1. EMPATHY:  Have you turned on the news lately?  It’s nothing but doom and gloom.  Times are tough, and consumers want to do business with people and companies that empathize with them about the hard times they’re experiencing.Put yourself in the consumer’s shoes and let them know you understand where they’re coming from.  If you show you can relate to them, they’re going to be much more likely to buy from you.
  2. SOLUTIONS:  To gain a customer, you need to show that you have the solution to their problems and can help them improve their life in some way.  Let consumers know you have the solutions they’re looking for, and let them know you care about helping them, and you will gain their trust…and their business.When explaining your solutions, be sure to focus on the benefits of your product, service, or working with YOU.  Consumers don’t care about the features…they want the answer to the question “What’s in it for me?”
  3. COLLABORATION:  Social media has changed the way we do business by creating interaction and conversation between brands and consumers.  Engage your customers on social media, and encourage them to interact with your brand and even share their ideas for improvement with polls, surveys, and virtual “suggestion boxes.”  When you collaborate you will never run out of ideas to improve your products, services, or customer experiences.  When customers are engaged and feel like their voices are heard, they become more likely to become loyal customers for life.
  4. CONFIDENCE:  You want customers to have confidence in you, your products, and your services.  Consumers should believe in your ability to deliver the solutions you promised.  And they want to be confident that if there is an issue you will be there to assist them or provide an alternate solution.  Finally, they want the confidence to know that if they open their wallet and hand over money to you, you won’t take advantage of them.
  5. SERVICE:  All customers want to feel special and receive a high level of service and a flawless buying experience.  They want to do business with people…not machines.  Make it easy for customers to contact you and get the level of service they deserve and they will become repeat customers and your biggest source of referrals.

What are you going to do to give your customers what they want?  Comment below to share your ideas.