Customer Engagement:
Second Small Business Power Move
Customer Engagement conversations have been more common since technology has been able to help Small Business Owners (SBOs) automate systems to improve Business Performance.
Many SBOs still underestimate the power of customer engagement. This is quite unfortunate because it’s the crucial step between attracting (potential) customers and converting them into customers.
Of course, the only way attracted (power move 1) customers convert (power move 3) to actual customers is if you are engaging (power move 2) them.
Click here to review all 5 Performance Power Moves of Small Business.
Why? If they aren’t ready to buy when you initially attract them (and only 3% are ready to buy at that time), you must begin to engage with them on a regular basis.
Successful Customer Engagement in the 21st Century is Old-fashioned
The power of customer engagement is often misunderstood by SBOs. The power involves finding the right balance and approach to engaging your customers. NOTE: you don’t want to over step your boundary either. Thus, the balancing act.
This 2nd Small Business Power Move is essential to you warming up your leads. When most people are introduced to you and your business they aren’t ready to purchase from you.
Your job then becomes to “court” them. Yes, thinking in an old-fashion manner will help you with an appropriate balance for YOUR Customer Engagement System.
If you met someone, would you want to build a relationship with them after you met or would you ask them to marry you on the spot?
Well, on the spot marriage proposals aren’t the most successful approaches for most people. Typically they freak people out! They usually turn around and run as fast as they can in the opposite direction.
Remember, only 3% are ready to marry you (say yes to purchasing your offering) when you first meet. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
CAUTION: Just because potential customers don’t buy from you on the spot, doesn’t mean they aren’t interested.
Customer Engagement Process
Brilliant Breakthroughs Big Question:
Would you rather always and only be chasing the next 3% who are ready to buy, or begin building relationship with the 97% who are interested – but not ready to buy quite yet?
The answer is simple: Secure the 3% of your immediate yeses and start warming up the 97%. Securing sales generates revenue for you to continue serving your marketplace. Make sure you secure your quick-hit revenue! Courting the 97% is where they money is over time – if you do this well.
Conversely, don’t get caught hiding from your customers. This is the other common fatal flaw of SBOs.
Hi-tech or Hi-touch for YOUR Customer Engagement Process?
As you know, I’m a proponent of balancing hi-tech and hi-touch.
In an ideal world, your Customer Engagement Process would include both automation and a personal phone call or snail mail.
Remember: In the past 20 years we’ve seen the shift from full (postal) mailboxes and empty email inboxes to full inboxes and empty mailboxes.
If you want to stand out, work automating your emails (email marketing is still the most effective of all digital marketing) AND get your messages in their mailboxes.
Recall, I said this engagement thing was like courting a customer. When you send them marketing it’s like your sending them “little love letters”. The connection is amplified when you put something in their mailbox.
Getting something in their hands makes you real. Once you’re real to them, it’s harder to disengage with you – you’re a real 3-D person vs. a 2-D digital person they can dispose of with a click.
YOUR TECHNIQUE TIP:
All the great marketing teachers reveal: Emotion sells!
How do you keep customers emotionally connected to you? People only consider engaging with you when they know how much you care about them.
Everyone wins when you make time to create a balanced customer engagement process. So what’s holding you back?
If you need help with this Small Business Power Move or other business performance frustrations, just contact Maggie for a 30 minute conversation – either with a call or this link to discuss the gap between where you’re at and where you’d like YOUR Business to be Performing. Don’t worry, it’s not a sales conversation – don’t bring your credit card because it won’t be accepted!
Please feel free to share your insights about the Customer Engagement process in the comment section.
THANKS FOR ALLOWING ME TO HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS!
Brilliant Breakthrough, Inc. provides Small Business Coaching & Consulting
to Simplify Strategies & Align Actions
to Further YOUR Profitability, Peace, & Potential
Call Maggie (262) 716.7750 for YOUR No-cost Consultation
Blessings of Success to YOU ~
Maggie Mongan, Brilliant CEO & Strategist
Brilliant Breakthroughs, Inc.
Direct Dial: 262-716-7750
LinkedIn: MaggieMongan
p.s.: If you’re in the Milwaukee area on the last Friday of the month, join us at Wisconsin Business Owners Lunch and Learn to learn about and practice client engagement with other Business Owners!
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