Great customer relationships don’t happen overnight. It takes your steady, consistent delivery of a quality product, service and experience that drives long-term trust – and purchasing.
For today’s skittish spenders, minimizing the risk associated with a new business partnership is paramount. Anything you can do to bolster con dence among prospects early on is more important than ever when dollars are carefully watched and results are expected.
Nothing soothes a skeptic like a positive referral from a reliable source. According to Yankelovich, a leading consumer research company, consumers trust friends more than other sources when it comes to product recommendations:
- 65% trust friends
- 27% trust experts
- 8% trust celebrities
During the next decade, 84% of marketers say that building customer trust will become marketing’s primary objective. (1to1Media survey)
Give your current customers an incentive to become a trusted organizational ambassador that will bring you new customers. Consider:
- Savings certi cates/rewards – Offer your referring customer a free or discounted price on a product or service that is new for them.
- Business gifts – Thousands of business related or personal items at every price point make gift-giving easy.
- Appreciation events – Why not host a special customer appreciation event, like a golf outing, theatre experience or luncheon?
And, don’t forget your employees. Satisfied workers are one of your best sources of positive word of mouth. Treat them right and they’ll treat you right.
