Creating a quality relationship with your customers is a vital part of running your small business. At the most basic level, this is taking the customers’ orders, filling their orders to terms, and making on time and accurate delivery of the products. There are, however, many other ways to communicate with your customers that can help your business improve and grow as well. With the economy slow, maintaining good customer relations is also a very cost efficient way to keep your business humming. Here are four things to think when building a strong relationship.

1) Keep in touch
Email blasts are a great way to keep your customers up on news, events, and product information, but when you are trying to build a relationship a more personal touch is often necessary.   In this technology age, it is good to remember that a phone call or an in person visit to your customers can have a big impact. A one-on-one conversation is essential for developing a connection as well as getting to the heart of what the customer needs from the business relationship. This is especially important if you do not have a dedicated sales team maintaining the clients. Set a regular date on your calendar and use that time to call on a number of customers.

2) Ask specific questions
When you call a customer and ask how they are doing you will probably get an answer such as “Fine!”, “Great!” or “Busy!”  While you are glad to hear they are doing well, this information does not relay any valuable insight. Before you call on a customer, decide on a few key questions to ask them in order to get the information you need to serve them better.  Ask your customers about: 

• What trends they are seeing in the market
• Are there product or design that you would like to see added to the line
• How are people using the products

Your customers can lead you to develop the best quality product.  Last year, I started asking customers how they were wearing their pendants. While most people responded that they wore them on simple silver chains, there were some interesting alternatives. People hung them from ribbons as Christmas ornaments, used them as key chains, and hanging them on wine bottles as an extra gift. I found new ways to market my product just by asking questions.

3) Listen

As small business owners, our “sell” mode is always on. We are the brand and we are out to tell everyone we see how great it is and why they should buy it. This mind set is great, but when it comes to our customers, listening can be better than talking. If you listen to your customers, you can find ways to provide them with services you did not previously know they were looking for.

I have a customer who purchased a pendant with her child’s sports pictures to wear to the games. After talking with her, she told me she was very involved with the school and raising money for the team.  I mentioned that I could make them sports themed pendants to sell to the other parents as a fundraiser for the team and she loved the idea. I was able to sell more pendants and she was able to raise money for her child’s school. The woman has repeatedly ordered pendants for her friends and family ever since that time.

4) Say Thank you
Everyone likes to get a thank you note, a birthday card, a holiday card, or even just an email letting them know they are appreciated. I know when I get a thank you note from a client or vendor, I post it up on my board so I can look at it and use it as inspiration to keep working hard and maintain quality in my work. Remember that your clients make your business. Tell them thank you and they will return the favor.

Have a great day!

Merideth Sorrentino
Kaboodle Pendants

PS Here are two good articles from Entrepreneur.com on customer relations:
- 30 Ways to Show Your Customers They're Always Right
- Keep Your Customers From Straying