Know why you want to talk to your customers

Last week I met with a new corporate client who wants to start talking directly to their customers through weekly articles. The conversation went something like this:

Client: We want you to write weekly articles for our website so we can talk to our customers

Me: That’s great, why do you want to talk to them?

Client: Um, because we feel we should improve our communication with our clients, you know, create brand loyalty

Me: Ok. So what is it that you want to tell them?

Client: All about our products and services

Me: So do you want to sell to them or educate them?

Client: Well actually, there has been a bit of confusion with our latest advertising campaign. The retailers are telling us that the customers don’t really understand the offer and where the additional value is coming from.

Me: Ah. Then that’s a good place to start.

You should always have a good reason to talk to your customers and I mean a REALLY good reason. With all the messages thrown at us every day, we’ve become increasingly sceptical and jaded when it comes to communications we receive from our service providers. Most communications are either deleted without being read or are simply ignored.

You need to position your company as one who is actually adding real value to your customers’ lives, rather than the annoying salesman who just won’t leave them alone.

How to engage with your customer so they keep coming back for more

Step 1: Make sure you actively listen to your customers

• What are your customers asking your representatives?
• What kind of product or service complaints are coming in through your dedicated customer service centres?
• Are current and potential customers talking on industry forums and if so – what are they talking about?
• How can you resolve the queries and make their lives easier without pushing your product in a hard-sell?

Use the information that you learn on the various social media platforms and through your customer points of contact to generate communication topics so you are sharing useful information.

Let’s take an example:

If your company sells ready-to-bake cake mix, a good place to start engaging with your customers is on baking forums within your target territories (where you sell the product). Set up a profile on the forums so you can answer any questions on behalf of your organisation. Remember – you are not there to push your product – this is not a hard sell. The purpose for you engaging with them, is to make their lives easier, better in some way.

So if “CookieCutter” complains that her new chocolate brownie recipe is flopping every time she tries it, you have an opportunity to assist her. Don’t say “you should try our fabulous flop proof brownie mix,” rather find a way to stop her brownies flopping.

Ask her questions. Perhaps you could start with “how it is flopping?”  (Every baker knows there are many reasons and ways a baked good can flop.) Perhaps she responds that it is very stodgy and not rising. This could be a sign that she is not using enough yeast, or that it’s past its expiration date, so make that suggestion to her.

You could also add that if she has a fan assisted oven, that the fan might be malfunctioning and not reaching the required temperature and she might want to have someone check it out. If you’re really switched on, perhaps you could pass on the name of a trusted service technician in her area who could check it out for her.

Once you’ve identified why she’s having the problems, then you can direct her to your company’s website where she can find a variety of brownie recipes – and tell her which one is your favourite.

You’ve offered her assistance, engaging with her on a personal level, hopefully resolved her problem making her day better and sent her to your website where she will be exposed to your product range, all without a hard-sell.

Step 2: Give them information they can use

Have an education section on your website where you post regular useful articles for your customers. Again it’s not about the hard-sell; it’s about helping them through information.

On the baked goods supplier’s website, articles which would be of benefit to customers could include:

• My cake keeps flopping – why is it doing this and how do I fix it?
• Where to find the biggest range of cake decorations in Gauteng, KZN and CT
• How to make your chocolate sauce more decadent
• How do I convert millimetres to grammes?
• Can I substitute butter for margarine?

You get the picture. Not once have you pushed your brand – you’re more concerned with helping your customers. You have given them information that will make their lives easier, and their baking experience more enjoyable. It’s what will set you apart from your competitors and it’s what will bring them back to your website time and again. It’s also what will encourage them to share your website and mention your brand to their friends and family.