Communication Improves Customer Relationship and Business Prospects

By Shamila Janakiraman, TMCnet Contributor

Small- to medium-sized business expert, Denise O’Berry, revealed that optimum communication was most imperative for maintaining good customer relationships, which will in turn result in a successful business.

“With all the new technology and innovations in the market, it may surprise many that the best CRM tool is the phone, as you can gain valuable insights from listening to clients and talking with them about solutions for their problems.” said O’Berry, SMB blogger and author of Small Business Cash Flow: Strategies for Making Your Business a Financial Success, in a statement.  

This article by O’Berry dealing with customer relationship management is part of a series that Advanced American Telephones has planned to help small businesses communicate. Advanced American Telephones manufactures AT&T (News - Alert)-branded home and office telephones.

AT&T telephony products meet the needs of SMB customers across multiple industries. It provides advanced communication solutions through its Synapse Business Phone (News - Alert) System, SynJ Extended Range Phone System and cordless headsets.

“Building relationships is a matter of give and take, and there is no better way to do this than in a personal conversation,” O’Berry emphasized.

O’Berry goes forward and outlines recommendations and tools that managers can leverage to help staff members to retain and maintain the best possible relationships with customers.  

It is essential to keep in mind the needs and wants of the customer. This can be achieved by making a profile of them. In order to maintain a cordial relationship with customers a simple phone conversation will do although nowadays e-mails are more preferred. Although e-mail and other one-way communications have their place in customer relationship management (CRM), a phone call is crucial to help connect and engage a customer.

A successful CRM program entails that a business should collect customer information with every sale and monitor who buys what, when and how often, as well as obtain a customer’s phone number and e-mail address.

After accumulating enough trust, relationship with a customer can be strengthened by using continual check-ins, where the customer is called to get feedback and discuss ways to improve the business. Also proactive calls can be made to encourage customers to make a purchase in case of a long gap.

O’Berry also advises that promotions have to be made to serve the needs of a customer. Constant contact with customers via e-mail and letters is essential. Setting up a regular schedule of e-mail news that highlights existing customer success stories, customer testimonials, new offers and company news will serve the purpose. This can be further supported with letters by post with all contact details.

(source: http://voice-of-the-customer.tmcnet.com/topics/voice-of-the-customer/articles/122426-communication-improves-customer-relationship-business-prospects.htm)