It's a competitive marketplace nowadays, no matter what business sector you may fall into. Whether you're a traditional retailer, a food truck owner, a multi-million dollar entrepreneur or a hopeful small business owner, making yourself and your business memorable among your customers should always remain top of mind. To help, consider the below tips.
Tip #1: Aim to Achieve Customer-Oriented Goals Every Day
Identifying strong customer care as a regular standard is one thing. Aiming to introduce and support additional customer oriented goals is another. For example, every Wednesday you can make it a habit to review Yelp and other online review sites that may offer insight based on customer reviews. Keeping up with this habit will allow you to regularly be aware of what consumers are saying about your business - and when necessary, react to reviews and customer complaints or insight that may be negative. It can also welcome you to share any positive feedback you receive in your social networks and other communication avenues with your customers, something that is nearly turn-key and essentially free to do. After all, strong reviews are earned so why not share them?
Another idea to strengthen customer care above and beyond your everyday standards is to identify one day a month to host a customer luncheon or breakfast that welcomes your invited customers only to share their thoughts about your business. What better way to gain new ideas, gain feedback and grow your profits then listening to your customers directly? Other ideas may include writing handwritten thank you notes for certain purchases, offering customers complimentary coffee and pastries on any weekend days you may be open and introducing a customer hall of fame board in your office, restaurant or storefront that shares interesting customer news, reviews or other noteworthy details that you can update as necessary.
Tip #2: Increase the Font Signage in Your Business Marketing
Did you know that 6 out of 10 people in the developed world wear glasses, contact lenses, or have had corrective eye surgery? Additionally, 60% of the population is vision impaired but has little or no access to eye care or eyeglasses. Keeping this in mind, why not help your customers out with increased font sizes in your marketing efforts? From price tickets or menus to in-store signage or exterior business awnings and more, there are countless places that you can likely increase font sizes to help customers gain a stronger vision - literally - of your business. Want to go the extra step? Keep a basket of reading glasses on hand in a variety of magnifications for customers who may have forgot theirs or need a little extra help. One business that did this recently was Bobby Vans Steakhouse in New York City's Time Square, where I personally experienced a gentleman casually ask the bartender if they "by chance had any extra reading glasses" and to my surprise, they did. Sure enough, the gentleman sat down and continued his evening thanks to this extra little customer care perk.
Tip #3: Hand Out "Bag Stuffers" For Reasons Beyond Sales
First thing is first... bag stuffers are not just bag stuffers. This old school marketing term can be used in a variety of ways, including being handed out to customers without a purchase ever being made, shared among businesses, distributed at special events and more. Basically, these postcard size handouts are ways to inform and educate your customers of future sales, promotions, in-store events, business opportunities and however else you see fit for your unique business. They can also be used to share examples, recipes, how-to experiences and much, much more, as well. In other words, the opportunities are endless. The main takeaway here, however, is that you do not want customers to leave empty handed... ever. So rather than waiting for them to make a purchase and then give them these bag stuffers, give them to anyone and everyone as a way to communicate what's going on with your business. Make sure they are savvy in design, concise in their messaging and engaging in their customer communication. Still not sure where to start? Resources like Fiverr.com make it easy and affordable, helping you cross this off your to-do-list today without taking much time away from what you do best.
Finally, consider what makes your business stand out among your direct competitors. Is it your product alone? Your in-store, restaurant or business experience? Or what about your customer care? If being memorable for your customer service is not among the reasons you believe consumers return to your business, then aim to make this a priority moving forward. Very simply, this one change can make an average business good and a great business amazing. Wouldn't you prefer this difference?
