Customers play a large role in driving the success of your small business, so being concerned about your customers’ needs is of paramount importance. By doing so, you can not only ingratiate yourself to them but also build a bond that will likely go a long way in improving customer loyalty.
Making Empathy a Part of Your Business Practice
When assessing how to improve your products or services do you take into account customer feedback? Are you able to step back and see things from their perspective? Are there ways you can improve your offering to make it better for your customers? These are all important questions to consider as you attempt to build empathy and become more credible and reliable in their eyes.
Profit is important but it’s not all there is. Many customers, especially Millennials, begrudge that side of business. That why it’s imperative that you don’t merely think in terms of how profitable your product or service will be. You need to ask what value you are providing your customers and how you are helping them solve a particular problem or meet a certain need. One way to do this is by simply utilizing a spreadsheet and placing your products/services in one column and then listing the value they have to your customers in the next column. As you do so, you can consider the following:
- In what ways can you enhance the value of your products/services? What are the benefits of doing so?
- Take some time to think about how you work and interact with your customers. For example, how often do you meet with them or interact with them on social media? Do you know what they want? If so, how can you help them get it and ensure that it meets their needs?
Putting yourself in your customers’ shoes can go a long in identifying with them and making your products or services better. The end result is that you become more valuable to them and they, in turn, become more loyal.
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