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IWRA Update
Three Tips to Get ’Em Talkin’
By
TOM NIZIOLEK
What’s your company’s
greatest asset? Is it your
equipment? Nope. Is it your products? No sir. Is it your
staff? It’s not them either
It’s your customers. Or, to be
more precise, it’s your happy customers;
because
happy customers
beget new customers. The
challenge, of course, is making sure
your customers are happy and motivated
to share their enthusiasm
with others. The answer is: do what you say
you are going to do when you say
you will do it and for the price
you said you would. Then the
happiness part will take care of
itself. That’s the easy part. The
trick is getting them talking. I
have read quite a bit about wordof-
mouth marketing techniques
and I’ve reduced what I’ve
learned to a few lessons. Here are
three surefire ways to turn customers
into advocates for your
business. SURPRISE!
Customers expect quality products,
reliable service and competitive
prices. Those are prerequisites
for any successful business.
But people don’t talk about the expected;
they talk about the unexpected—
like the body shop
that polishes all serviced cars
or the brewery that personalizes
mugs for regulars. It’s the
seemingly insignificant surprises
that stimulate word-ofmouth
referrals. For an automotive
tint shop, something as
simple as providing a voucher
for free windshield washing
for life may be just unusual tnough to get car owners
buzzing. Residential dealers
could leave behind a
branded squeegee, perhaps
accompanied by
care and cleaning instructions
for homeowners.
Surprises are food
for conversation. LISTEN
Good conversation isn’t the science
of speaking, but rather the art
of listening. Communicating with
your customers is no different. When
you complete a job, ask your customer
what you could have done better.
When you lose a job, ask the consumer
what you could have done differently.
Not everyone is comfortable
sharing this type of feedback, but
some are. For those that do, show
your gratitude by telling them what
changes you plan to make as a result
of their counsel. Every company
should constantly strive to refine
and improve. By attributing those
enhancements to those who gave
feedback, you will show that you not
only listened, but acted. This spirit of
partnership will help your customers
feel a sense of ownership in
your company, which, in turn, will
create more passionate dialogue. JUST ASK
Here’s the single most dependable
way to get customers to tell a friend about your business: Ask hem to. People generally are
pleased to spread the word about
businesses that have served them
well. They feel they are providing a
service not only to the company,
but more importantly to members
of their social circle. Sometimes we
forget how persuasive our opinions
are. All it takes is a polite reminder
from someone who might benefit
from our influence to get us to realize
the power of our voice. WF Tom Niziolek is president of the
International Window Film Association
(IWFA). Mr. Niziolek’s opinions are solely
his own and not necessarily those of this
magazine.
WINDOW FILM
© Copyright 2008 Key Communications Inc. All rights reserved.
No reproduction of any type without expressed written permission.
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