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Why do your Customers Choose to do Business With You?

Guest post by: Stephen Feswick

Article Overview: No one deserves customers just because they're in business. Customer loyalty must be earned one customer at a time. It's a time consuming, strenuous activity that pays huge dividends in the long term.

Why do your Customers Choose to do Business With You?

With all of the choices available to consumers today, the answer to this question is important to consider. To be sure, the WRONG answer is: "We are the price leader, the little cheaper dealer, the lowest price in town". Choose your small business marketing strategy with care.

If having the lowest price is the issue you feature and defend, then you are at the mercy of your dumbest competitor.

ANYONE can sell cheaper than you thereby eroding your marketing stance and destroying your price advantage strategy.

To build long-term profitable customer relationships, your business must be perceived as a "sustaining resource" that can be counted on to provide education, information and value. Of course price is an issue, but it is not THE issue.

By providing knowledge that goes beyond the physical product being sold or the service provided you become a trusted resource.

What type of knowledge or education should you provide?

Consider alternative uses for your product; different applications; extend the application beyond the obvious and encourage questions and comments.

By providing more reasons and opportunities to stay in contact with you, you create more "client touches". These may be in the form of face to face visits, newsletters, emails, special reports; even personal phone calls made during slow times in the business day.

By getting in front of your customer early on in your developing relationship, perhaps even before they know for a certainty that they need your product or service, you can firmly entrench your role as a provider. This is a great intervention strategy that can you can implement long before they are lured to alternative offers from your competitors.

Educating your customer is key!

Consider education the "great differentiator" that sets you apart from your competitors and that further develops essential customer trust and loyalty.

To your ongoing education,

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Article Tags: customer service, small business marketing



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