Business value is one of the most important considerations when it comes to a potential or current customer’s decision making. How much value is their service provider offering to their needs? How does this compare to other players in the industry?
Ensuring that the customer gets maximum value from the service and knowing the key factors to achieve positive customer response always is essentially the fundamental undertaking of any business; it is a constant process of improving and fine-tuning and incorporates nearly all aspects of the service from customer service, pricing, quality of the product itself and importantly how well it satisfies the requirements of the customer. Indeed, improving even internal business processes is a means to creating more value for the customer, as resources can be used to improve the service as a result.
This article will go through a few of the ways business value can be improved in the ways a business deals with their clients, and the positive impact this can have on overall profitability.
Show that you understand the client’s position
In order to maximize the value that you can offer to a client, it’s crucial that you demonstrate to them that you have a sound understanding of their needs and general situation. Doing so requires that you genuinely listen, which sounds simple but is something that can easily be overlooked. If a client feels as if you´re offering a service purely because that´s what you want to sell, rather than being exactly what they need to be given their requirement, they are going to get a lot more out of it. Taking this information and creating a tailor-made solution is obviously ideal, although depending on the industry and the scope of the business, may not be realistic.
Engaging with and showing an interest in the client and their position can help create a connection. This connection not only improves your chance of working with them in the future but is often a signal to a client that their needs are being met.
Lead the client
This is an adage that is particularly when it comes to the technology and IT industries but nevertheless applies to nearly all professional industries and even trade services. Often, clients go away with a feeling of greater satisfaction when they are confident the provider they were dealing with was top notch. This is part of the reason professionalism is such an important value-adding component.
A lot of the time, clients are unsure and confused. In offering a solution, you need to help them feel confident that they are in safe hands and that they are acting in their own best interests by following your professional advice. Demonstrating complete confidence and decisiveness about the best solution is a must.
In leading, you need to make the right decision for the client and communicate the reasons why what you’re offering is the right decision in a way they can understand. This is ultimately what a client is looking for.
Be there for the client
Customer service isn´t just about doing a good overall job and maintaining a good relationship with your client, there’s also an element of being there for them as much as possible that can help them feel valued.
This is part of the reason clients easily become stressed and even upset when they are in need and unable to reach through to a business or speak to the person they’re after straight away. When disaster strikes, which it does in a wide range of industries and for any number of customers, the client needs to feel like they have someone there that has their back, and often these situations say a lot to the client about your service and how much value it provides them.
That’s why, in certain industries, it´s of great importance that you have some kind of a system for dealing with incoming calls, ideally reception staff. However, often small businesses are simply unable to afford extra staff – but there are other options that can prove to be very helpful for savvy business owners. Live answering or virtual reception services are designed to help you manage these incoming calls and ensure the client feels loved, even when you or your staff are unavailable. These services help to provide a human touch, which can be helpful to a distressed client calling in and much preferable to leaving a voicemail or having to deal with an automated system.
The considerations discussed can be helpful in ensuring the client recognizes the value that is being offered and also improves it. Good customer service is the cornerstone of a successful business and is often the number one priority for providers operating in certain industries. Approaching the customer service puzzle with a value-generating mindset can be a very effective approach.