Whether you own a small business or operate as a sole proprietor, effective communication with your customers is essential for success. However, if your company is on the smaller side, it can be challenging to facilitate exceptional customer service and communication with limited resources. Even if you don’t have hundreds of employees on your customer service team, there are still several ways things you can do to ensure your business communicates with every customer in a timely and professional manner.
1. Make Sure Every Call Gets Answered
When potential clients call your business, the kind of response they get forms the basis for their first impressions of you and your company. The last thing you want to do is leave customers on hold for a long time or send their calls to a generic voicemail box. If you don’t have the time to answer all incoming calls yourself and you can’t hire an in-house customer service team, consider investing in virtual answering services. When you outsource to an answering services provider, you can be sure every client will have his or her call answered by a live person who knows your business name and details. Many providers offer 24/7 service and make it easy to get your messages on your smartphone.
2. Build an Email List
Email is a great way to keep in touch with your existing customers and potential clients who are interested in your business. There are several ways to build an email list, and one of the easiest is to show everyone who visits your website a form that allows them to sign up for email updates. Once you have this list of email addresses, you can send out monthly newsletters and information about new products or services. Other potential uses for an email list include sending personalized discounts to clients, encouraging referrals, and sharing marketing content.
3. Engage Through Social Media
Social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, provide other ways for you to connect with your current customers and target audience. You can use these platforms to provide contact information for your company as well as a summary of the products and services you offer. Once you create your business profile, it’s important to manage it effectively, which includes posting regular updates. It is also essential to respond to people who contact you through these platforms. Well-managed social media communication can increase brand awareness and make your customers feel heard.
Modern technology gives small business owners numerous ways to improve communication with customers. Consider incorporating email marketing, social media, and call answering services into your operation.
