Today is a special day, especially if you’re an entrepreneur, business owner, service provider or manager.
It’s Get to Know Your Customers Day!
This day reminds businesses to reach out to patrons and to get to know them better. When businesses get to know their customers, they also get to know more about what they need to grow.
Not to mention, it’s just good for business. Getting to know your customers will help you build strong client relationships, which is so important.
I love the idea of Get to Know Your Customers Day because it speaks to one of the core tenets of my business model that has helped me be successful over the past 18 years as an entrepreneur: the importance of building strong client relationships.
It’s impossible to build strong relationships without knowing and understanding the people you’re working with and for. Getting to know your customers also helps you to serve them better.
Here’s why getting to know your customers and building strong client relationships is so important:
✨ Getting to know your clients allows you to exceed their expectations
It’s important to have a deep understanding of your clients’ needs, concerns and challenges. This will allow you to refine your products or services so that they’re perfectly suited for your clients. Listen deeply and ask questions to better understand their desires, their hopes, their fears and their expectations.
✨ When you understand your clients, you can better market and promote yourself/your business
If you understand your clients, that means you also likely understand your potential clients. This can allow you to reach your target market with messaging that’s directed at them and that will grab their attention. Everyone wants to work with people or businesses who understand them, their challenges and where they’re coming from.
✨ Strong relationships result in repeat customers
Good relationships benefit parties on both sides of a working relationship because they mean better communication, mutual commitment and better end results. When you build strong relationships and love who you work with, you cultivate loyalty and long-term clients.
✨ You can create a free, automatic referral network
Strong client relationships can oftentimes result in positive word of mouth, increased referrals and more sales. This may not be a good motivation to build strong relationships in itself (building strong relationships has to come from a place of authenticity), but it’s a great perk.
✨ It makes day-to-day work life more enjoyable!
Besides the benefits above, I love building great client relationships because it just makes work more enjoyable. Strong relationships ease stress, can add humour and connection to your day, make your job easier and will make you love your job.
If you’re wondering HOW to get to know your customers, it’s easier than you’d think. Communicate. Reach out. Follow up. Ask questions. Be interested in the answers, and remember them. Slow down. Give every client your undivided attention. And make them feel like they’re your most important customer of the day!
Remember that relationships take cultivating and nurturing, so be patient and keep showing up daily for your clients. Don’t take them for granted.
