Patience is a virtue.
However, while it’s a skill you can practice and improve on your own, it isn’t something you should expect from anyone else in the business world. Ideally, having the ability to deliver work or goods on time is the minimum requirement to meet your customer’s expectations. Your customers are impatient, and plenty of do not intend to be. Where did their impatience come from? Customers feel instant gratification instantly after their purchase, even if they have not received their order. From a psychological perspective, they feel a sense of belonging as soon as an online transaction is completed, which gives them a boost of happiness. However, the longer it takes a company to deliver an order or fix any problems that stop customers from using the item, the more the company is perceived as an obstacle to pleasure. If you cannot meet customer expectations on time, you become a major roadblock standing in the way of them and a satisfying purchase. As a result, asking customers to wait can be a costly mistake!
No more wasted cold calling
Existing prospects or past customers welcome relevant offers from your business. However, what they do not want is to receive unexpectedly cold marketing communications. Calling on existing customers to introduce a new product that does not meet their needs is unlikely to generate a sale. If you want to be a company that can solve customer problems with innovative solutions, you need to assess their interests and needs BEFORE approaching them with a sales proposal. In marketing terms, the appraisal stage occurs through application funnel, which is informative content that lets you track people’s interests. For example, companies selling software solutions will have more success converting prospects if they relate to people who read their blogs and watch their video tutorials. Calling a list of contacts who have not had an opportunity to find out about your solution will prove to be frustrating for both the company and the customer.
Outsource to experts to help them
Customers expect companies to be available around the clock to answer their questions in today’s digital era. Unfortunately, the small team is unable to handle customer inquiries outside of business hours. Outsourcing the mandatory services not only saves your team time, but ensures customers do not have to wait until the next day to talk to someone. It can be a strategic customer support approach to address real-time troubleshooting of product issues, complaints, inquiries, and orders. Virtual assistants, customer call centers and product experts can make a significant difference in your interactions with customers.
Don’t leave them guessing: Tell them
Customers get impatient when they do not know what is going on with their product or demand. Most of the clients expect a fast resolution to their problems. But when quick solutions aren’t an option, they need to do it kept in loop to know that things are progressing. Companies that fail to use multiple communication methods to reach their customers are likely to face criticism. Social media channels, newsletters, blog articles and press releases are some of the most popular communication channels. Spreading your communications across multiple channels can ensure customers do not lose their temper.
Your customer’s time is valuable. It is in the company’s interest to save your customer time in every business interaction, whether you are creating a sales proposal or recording a complaint. Customers who receive fast responses feel valued and revered by the company. Patience, in the end, is the result of knowing your needs are understood.