The Techniques Your Business Needs to Connect with Customers

Julie Starr • Jul 17, 2020



Connecting with customers is a necessity for all businesses that want to grow, building their customer base, and retaining existing customers. For a modern business, it’s essential to have a brand that customers are able to connect with. Advertising and customer service can no longer be as simple and direct as they once were. There’s a lot that goes into creating the right strategy for approaching customers and forming relationships with them, including psychology and sociology. If your business needs help to connect with customers better, there are many different techniques that you can use to get the results that you want.

Treat Customers As Individuals
 One of the most significant things that businesses can do to connect with customers is to treat them as individuals. Even B2B businesses that are dealing with decision-makers within companies can take a more personal approach to working with them. Instead of treating everyone in the same way, it’s important to take a unique and tailored approach to each of them. For example, you might speak to customers differently depending on how much contact they have had with your brand. Those new to your brand might receive different messaging to those who have been interacting for longer or are already your customers.

Handle Concerns and Complaints
 It’s great when your business is going well, and you receive positive feedback. However, not all of the feedback that you receive can be positive. You will sometimes have concerns and complaints to deal with, and they can’t be ignored. Connecting with customers means that you need to engage with negative feedback too. Of course, responding in the right way is vital. That’s why it’s worth training your customer service representatives in how to do it, and escalating anything particularly important to the right people. Negative feedback handled incorrectly could do a lot of damage to any brand’s reputation.

Explore Different Communication Channels
 A choice of communication channels is essential for any business that wants to reach their customers. It’s important to consider your customer and the communication channels that they might prefer. Some B2B businesses might need to ensure they are available on the phone at all times, while B2C companies might put more focus on social media or online chat. Ideally, most businesses would have a choice of communication channels available for customers. Giving your customers options allows them to engage with you in the ways that suit them best. It means that staying in touch is never an inconvenience for them.

Use Social Media
 Social media is one of the communication channels that you can offer to customers as a customer service option. However, it can also be more than that. If you ask any digital marketing agency today, they will tell you the value of using social media. It allows you to build your brand and to connect with customers in new ways. There are many ways to use social media, with various platforms available that can be used differently. Some platforms are more visual, some are geared toward businesses, and others are suitable for engaging in conversations with customers. Social media is great for building a brand and creating a better connection with customers.

Have Face-to-Face Conversations
 With so many different ways to speak with customers, you can often communicate with them without seeing them in person. Sometimes this can mean miscommunication or the inability to convey tone properly. Meeting people face-to-face is a better way to communicate with clients in many instances. B2B businesses can benefit from choosing this type of conversation when they want to get to know their clients and take a personal approach. If in-person meetings aren’t possible or convenient, video conferencing can provide an alternative that works for many. It’s not exactly the same as meeting face-to-face, but it still allows you to see each other.

Simple Steps To Make Your Office Space More Eco-Friendly

By Julie Starr • 07 Oct, 2024
Becoming more eco-friendly and running a greener business is a responsibility that business owners really need to think more about. The good news is that if you spend a lot of time in your office, there are plenty of ways to make it more eco-friendly without having to overhaul everything and start again (which isn’t just disruptive, but expensive too). So, if you’re ready to get started, here are some simple steps to make your office space more eco-friendly; read on to find out more. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting This idea is a simple one that you can do no matter what else might be on your list of tasks - it’s quick, easy, and really makes a difference; change your light bulbs to something more energy efficient. If you’re still using traditional fluorescent bulbs, it’s time to upgrade to LED which doesn’t just last longer, but also uses a lot less energy. They’re easy to install and they’ll help you cut down on your office’s energy usage almost instantly. If possible, you should make the most of natural light too, so think about rearranging your workspace to let in more sunlight, which saves energy and can boost your mood - it’s a win-win that you can do right away. Prioritize Air Quality The air you breathe matters, and keeping it clean can do wonders for your health and the planet. One way to improve air quality is by adding plants to your workspace because plants are natural air purifiers, and as a bonus, they’ll make your office feel more inviting. Another great idea is to make sure your office’s HVAC system is working efficiently, and having air duct cleaning done by professionals is an easy step you can take to improve air quality and ensure your heating and cooling systems aren’t wasting energy. Clean air ducts mean cleaner air, less strain on your system, and even lower energy bills, so it’s a simple but really effective thing to do. Switch To Reusable Products If your office is still stocking up on single-use plastic items, it’s time for a change - swap your disposable cups, utensils, and plates for reusable ones and you’ll be surprised at how much waste to eliminate. And what about encouraging people to bring their own mugs and water bottles to work? Give them tea, coffee, and water to refill everything with, and you’ll be doing your bit to help the planet and have less waste to deal with as well. And don’t stop with these things either - there are loads of reusable products that could be useful in your office. You could have refillable pens and ink cartridges for your printer, for example. Go Paperless Speaking of your printer, is that an office machine you actually need? If you were to go digital and aim for a paperless office , you might be able to do away with the printer, which means less money spent on ink and paper, and less energy used altogether. You should be able to set up a system where documents can be shared online and stored electronically, and there are plenty of tools around to help you do exactly that (and much more). If you don’t need to print something and you don’t need a physical copy of a document, don’t make one - just use the digital version instead and you’ll be a lot more eco-friendly.

3 Most Unsustainable Industries & What They're Doing To Be More Eco-Conscious

By Julie Starr • 04 Oct, 2024
Sustainability often gets pushed on the common person. Joe Public is told to be more sustainable with their daily habits as the government pushes for more eco-friendly measures. This is all well and good - but does it really matter when 71% of greenhouse gas emissions come from just 100 companies around the world? Small business owners are desperate to prove their sustainability, but what are bigger companies in some of the most polluting industries doing to help? We’ve taken three of the least sustainable sectors on the planet and explored the unique ways they’re trying to cut down on emissions and be more eco-friendly. Mining Any industry revolving around drilling underground will not be very environmentally friendly! Mining causes a lot of pollution, but its unsustainability often comes from the way it damages local environments and ecosystems. So, what is this industry doing to change things? It’s largely focusing on more responsible mining practices to reduce waste and mitigate the impact on local environments. This is done through mining dust suppression systems to prevent airborne pollution, reforesting mining sites when they’re no longer in use, and recycling as many materials as possible. Is it perfect? No, but it’s a step in the right direction. Fossil Fuels Shock horror; the fossil fuels industry is the most damaging to our environment. Finding ways to change the scope of this sector is the key to ensuring a better future for all. Some companies in this industry are trying to do this through carbon capture and storage. This is a technique where CO2 emissions are captured before they’re released into the atmosphere and stored underground. Realistically, the main thing fossil fuel companies should be doing is pushing for more renewable energy sources. Many are doing this - though reports suggest they’re not investing as much as they should. If fossil fuel companies dumped more money into developing biofuels and other renewable sources, pollution from this industry would drop dramatically. Fashion The most unbelievable stat to take from this post is that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of our global carbon footprint . That’s remarkable (and worrying), considering how most of us don’t view it as a “dangerous” industry. Fast fashion is the main problem; poorly-made goods are pumped out at a rapid rate, and consumers constantly buy new things. Fashion companies are trying their best to resolve this. Most big brands will now have sustainable lines using recyclable materials. Consumers also hold the key to solving this problem: stop buying new clothes all the time and wear yours for longer. Or buy pre-owned clothes to slow down the fashion production line. Companies can still do more as well: they are trying to adopt more eco-friendly production processes that use less water and energy. The moral of this post is that everyone can do their bit to fight for a more sustainable future. Keep this in mind for your small business . It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; there will always be ways to promote eco-friendly practices.
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