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4 Ways Marketers Can Improve Customer Retention By Going the Extra Mile

Posted on Oct 30th, 2012
Written by TopRank Marketing
  • Blog
  • B2B Marketing
  • 4 Ways Marketers Can Improve Customer Retention By Going the Extra Mile
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    TopRank Marketing drives results with content, influencer, SEO & social media marketing.

    Two people running to help clientsOne of the reasons I enjoy working for a company like TopRank Online Marketing is our dedication to the clients have been with us on our journey, and the way in which we are able to work side by side as a team.

    In fact, our agency mantra is simple: Client, Company, Community, Self.  What does that mean?  In every situation that we are faced with we must ask ourselves:

    • Is the decision I’m making good for the client?
    • How will it benefit the company?
    • Will it impact the community?
    • Is it good for me?

    This seemingly simple reminder of what we stand for enables us to make decisions based on what is best for all parties involved.  We’ve been fortunate to have a number of clients who have been with us for a long time.  Why?  Our team has always strived to go the extra mile for our clients.  Below are 4 helpful tips to help you do the same.

    Tip #1 – Be On the Lookout For Opportunity

    When your business Internet marketing, it is essential that you can think quickly on your feet and adapt when needed.  In order to be proactive you must always be on the lookout for opportunities that will allow you to provide your clients with the highest level of services and solutions available.

    Say one of your clients is struggling to find a way to better communicate with their internal team.  While this may fall out of your direct area of service with them, perhaps you could suggest a they begin using a program like Yammer or Salesforce Chatter to improve the way that they share information.

    You may also provide a particular service to a client but believe they would benefit from utilizing some of your additional services.  Take advantage of this opportunity and find the RIGHT time to mention it to your client and follow up in a way that is appropriate based on their feedback.

    Tip #2 – Always Ask Questions

    Some clients will freely offer up information, while others need prompted to share.  We’ve gotten in the habit of sending our clients surveys so that we can get and analyze their honest feedback.  While using tools like surveys are a great way to augment your communication strategy, they are not the end all be all.

    Positive communication aimed at getting to the root of issues, and even successes are essential to success.  Make a habit of doing less talking and more listening where your clients are concerned.

    Tip #3 – Be Honest With Yourself, Your Team, & Your Clients

    No one likes to be the bearer of bad news.  Especially if there were certain expectations set with a client and they for some reason or another are not met.  However, if you’re willing to step up to the plate and share less than positive news, while still taking a proactive approach to fixing the issue, they’ll know that you have their best interests in mind, and that they can trust you.

    Tip #4 – Always Be Innovating

    Whether you are a B2C company or a B2B company, your clients are always looking for someone to help them innovate.  Organizations hire marketers to help improve the quality and visibility of their company messaging.  In order to do that in an effective and efficient way, it is imperative that you’re always looking for new and better ways to provide a quality product to your clients.  Innovation comes in many forms and may be something as simple as adding new services to your marketing mix, or finding a new way to solve or explain a complex problem.

    I’m sure that our team is alone in believing that taking care of your clients should always be a number one priority.  What have you found that your clients appreciate the most about working with you?  How have you handled a tough situation, and what were the results?

    Image provided via Shutterstock.