Your customers are what keeps your business going. We all know how it works, without customers, there is no money coming in, and without money, your business can’t grow. The important thing to remember when it comes to building strong relationships with your customers is that it doesn’t have to be hard. If you think of your customers as individual people, instead of as another job that needs to be done, it makes it much easier for you to connect with them, which in-turn makes them more loyal to your business. Building strong relationships with your customers is a win-win, but it can be tricky when you’re in the thick of busy season and just trying to get each job done.

Luckily, we have some tips for you to make the process a lot easier, smoother and more natural so you can connect with each and every customer of yours:

Keep Track of Past Jobs

Keeping track of the jobs you’ve completed in the past for your customers makes life easier for both of you. You will have an easier time with customer engagement, because you’ll know how long it’s been since your customer has had their carpet cleaned or their oil changed. Your customers will appreciate the friendly reminder to schedule another appointment.

Keeping track of past jobs also shows your customers that you care for them individually and that you know their situation and needs. Everyone likes to be remembered, and if your small business can go the extra mile by doing this, you’ll get a gold star in your customer’s eyes!

You’re probably thinking there’s no way to remember every service for every customer, and that’s true! But the good news is, with FreshLime’s powerful, automated Customer Connection software, you don’t have to. Our platform does all the heavy lifting for you, so all you have to do is focus on getting the job done!

Engage with Your Customers Regularly

Customer engagement is the #1 way to keep your customers coming back, and making them loyal advocates for your business. If you let your customers forget about you, they’ll just jump online and do a quick search next time they’re in need of pest control services or an HVAC tune-up. Fortunately, engaging with your customers regularly and effectively keeps your business at the top of their mind, and creates a strong relationship with them.

What does it mean to effectively engage with your customers? It means that you’re reaching them in a way that is most convenient for them. It means you’re contacting them through email, SMS text messaging, social media or all of the above depending on their preferences. Effective customer engagement also means that the messages you’re sending are worthwhile to your consumers, and they’re not spammy. Nobody likes to receive useless messages from businesses. However, if your engagements include reminders for an upcoming service they’ll need, tips and tricks related to your industry to keep their service lasting longer or coupons and details about current specials, they’ll appreciate you keeping in touch.

Once again, FreshLime has your back when it comes to automated, targeted and effective customer engagement. Your business can engage with your customers when and where it needs to, without you having to lift a finger. Find out more about FreshLime’s customer engagement and turn your Occasional Ollies into Loyal Larrys.

Be the Expert

You are the expert in your field, and you know it. But do your customers know it? Showing them that you are an expert in meeting their needs creates a strong relationship with your customers, because they know they can trust and depend on you. How can you be sure to show your customers that you’re the expert?

Answer their questions quickly and fully.
Leave each customer with tips for prolonging the life of the service you completed.
Be honest and upfront about what you’re doing for them.
Provide top-notch customer service.

We know that building strong relationships with your customers doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but following these helpful hints will make all the difference for your business when it comes to creating loyal customers.

For more insights on marketing strategy that actually works for small business, connect with Jay Bean, Founder of FreshLime and Small Business Marketing Expert on LinkedIn and Twitter. If any of these tips have helped you or if you have anything to add, please comment below. We’d love to hear from you!