Landing and nurturing customers are no child’s play. Though of course, the process is like raising children. It is both demanding but the rewards are worth the work. Just like raising children, there can be times where you have to infer what they want. Imagine an infant, they cannot yet say anything they do have wants. The same applies to customers; it is not always easy to know what they truly want. This is because at times they do not say because they cannot or choose to keep quiet. Remember another good analogy – that of communication. The biggest chunk of communication is non-verbal yet that is what constitutes what you truly must know. With that side, I am going to be discussing what customers want but will not tell you.
They Want To Be Treated Like They Matter
Yes, customers are in essence money but they do not like to be treated like that. When you interact with them they do not like to be made to feel that way. The truth is most businesses or startups are obsessed with sales. They are so obsessed that they forget customers are people with lives outside being your customers. Do not be overly concerned with making customers buy that you forget to engage with them as people. Care about their general well-being – how are they doing, how is their work or business, how is their family, and what nought. Customers love to be interacted with beyond just the sales transactions but they might never tell you that.
The Way Your Staff Carries And Presents Itself
In case you did not know, most customers can put up with unpleasant things even if they are regular customers. Especially if they are regular customers they might notice several things. One of those things is how your staff carries itself. I am referring to how they dress and carry themselves. Customers typically expect staff to be clad smartly and professionally. If a female staff member is exposing too much cleavage they might not be able to point it out. If a staff member has shabby hair or poor breath they might not find it easy to say. If a staff member is flirty, speaks with a low pitch, or speaks too fast – these can be concerns. My point here is you must always consider how your staff dresses and carries itself. Remember people (your customers) are mainly visual i.e. they conclude things based on what they see.
They Do Not Like Hard Sells
The hallmark of a good product or service is that it solves some issue. That is why entrepreneurship entails addressing widespread challenges people face. It is not about selling a product or service but it is about providing a solution. This means a business or startup must demonstrate they are so concerned about customers’ challenges or needs. That is one of the reasons why Apple Stores are wildly successful. The first line of service is skilled professionals who sit down with customers to first understand their needs. Amazingly, not every customer interaction should translate into a sale. Did you know or appreciate that? At times what a customer needs is some useful advice that addresses their issue. It does not mean you always have to make customers buy something. Customers might not tell you this but they want that. They want their issues addressed even if it does not translate into them buying something. This will show that your business or startup is mainly focused on addressing your issues, not just making you buy something.
These 3 of some of the important things you must bear in mind always. It is also wise to regularly and actively seek to figure more of such things. It is highly likely most of what your customers want is things they do not quite divulge. Getting to know them, just like the non-verbal aspects in communication, will help you understand them better. This is an overnight thing – it will take time to figure it all out. As for now, start with these 3 that I just shared with you. For starters, you can expand them further to draw more insights in your quest to better get what exactly your customers want.
