Selling solutions, not commodities: The Care Strategy

Last week, we started this series with meeting customers’ actual needs and not what we as entrepreneurs think may be their needs. We established that customers want to connect with an entrepreneur’s brand/products/service in an important way. Consequently, we examined personalisation as effective means to forge relationships between the customers and the brand. Thus, by proactively reaching out to them to inform about relevant promotions, follow-up calls to ensure satisfaction, etc, the entrepreneur begins to foster relationships with his or her customers.

Today, we will conclude by looking at few other ways to meet the customers’ needs.

Give them a compelling solution

Geoffrey James, a contributing editor for Inc.com and an author, in his 10 Things Every Customer Wants, says that “solution selling is definitely not dead.” According to him, “customers want and expect you to have the basic selling skill of defining and proposing a workable solution.” This is particularly true in the world where customers are not without unlimited choices.

Listen and respond quickly

While it is great and even important to ask for feedback from your customers, what is even more important to your customers is that you do something with the feedback they are providing you.

Therefore, as an entrepreneur, you need to respond to feedback, as quickly as you can, act on it and let them know what’s been done to make their experience better. If you don’t, your customers will assume you’re not taking them seriously and will stop giving you feedback.

How else do you think you can care for your customer? Tell me by sending me an email through ruth.olurounbi@tribuneonlineng.com.