The star. A symbol of ultimate success, what everyone wants
to attain. Remember when you were in grade school and you
completed your task successfully? With what did your teacher
reward you? A star. In the business of e-commerce stardom
isnÆt as easy to achieve as it was back then.
ItÆs a faceless, un-personal web weÆve woven. How do we
overcome this obstacle as a service or product retailer? We
follow the five points to stardom! There is a way to
successfully build a relationship and break through the
un-personal nature of our business.
Point 1: Sympathy The most important part of your business
endeavor. IÆm talking about being sympathetic to your
customer. Listen to the needs of your customer. Understand
the needs of your customer. Know what the need is of the
customer related to your product or service, and create a
product or service sympathetic to that need.
Example: You determine a need has arisen for affordable
banner design for small internet businesses. Small business
owners donÆt usually have the amount of money that large
corporations have to advertise their business. Developing an
affordable alternative will not only be lucrative for your
business but also for the small business owner. ItÆs a
WIN-WIN!
Point 2: Sense of Urgency Providing your product or service
with a sense of urgency is of utmost importance. If a
customer has to continue to wait for a response from your
company on an order, an email, or even a quote it could mean
a loss of business for you.
Advice: Respond to your customers within 24 hours at the
least. If you can respond within 6-12 you are more likely to
gain a business relationship. Waiting 2-3 days to return an
email is unacceptable. Unless your site policies state
otherwise (and in advance to the customer) more than 14
business days is too long to wait for a product or service.
Return any quotes for pricing or service requests as soon as
possible. Most likely the person that requested the
information is in search of someone or something, "right
now".
Point 3: Smile This is an important point. Presenting
yourself positively in any of your communication is
extremely important for your business. Have you ever heard
the saying "Believe in yourself, and others will believe in
you?" Apply this to your business. Believe in what you have
to offer and "smile" in every communication with your
customer. YouÆre asking yourself "how the heck do we "smile"
over the internet?
Advice: Smiling goes beyond you sitting behind your computer
in a good mood. We all know your customer canÆt see your
smile, but they can read it, feel it, and hear it! When
responding to an email, add that extra touch. Make your
communication through your writing and your images on your
site "positive". Remember that your website is your "face"
to the world. Be sure to put your make-up on and comb your
hair!
Example: HereÆs an email response from a happy person and a
not so happy person. You be the judge. Which email would you
rather receive?
Customer: IÆm looking for someone to design my website. Can
you quote me on a price for an entire package? How long do
you think it will take to complete the project? Tammy
Response from Jeanne: Tammy, IÆd LOVE to help you! What is
the name of your website and do you have any ideas for what
youÆd like it to look like? The pricing on an average
package including your banner, button, logo, slogan, and
backgrounds is $100.00. Depending on how long it takes us to
decide on colors etc. I usually complete work within one
week. I really appreciate your request and look forward to
working with you soon! Thanks! Jeanne
Response from Jenny: I do graphic design work. My prices can
be found on www.mygraphicsite.com. You can see the pricing
under "prices". How long it takes depends on you and how
fast you get me the information.
Did you feel the "smile" in JeanneÆs response? Did you feel
the "smile" in JennyÆs response?
Jeanne did this perfectly! WeÆll give her a star! What did
Jeanne do right? 1. Responded to her customer using the
customerÆs name. 2. Gave that extra touch with the "IÆd
LOVE to help you". 3. Immediately asked for the customerÆs
feedback. 4. Quoting her a price even though she knows that
the prices were clearly on her site. (WeÆve all been there
right?) 5. Closing with another positive remark about
working with the client really soon.
Great job Jeanne!
Point 4: Surprise Surprise your customer with something
extra! In this world of e-commerce the likeliness that your
site is the only one of its kind is probably next to
nothing. You have to make yourself stand out. Adding that
extra touch or going that extra mile for each of your
customers makes them feel special. In return theyÆll come
back to you when they need something else or theyÆll refer
their friends. Never underestimate the power of "word of
mouth". WeÆll cover that in another article!
Example: Adding something special or surprising a customer
with something extra doesnÆt have to cost a thing! Of course
you can add an extra product to their order, but sometimes
the extras are simpler than that. Providing something for
FREE on your site such as content, a newsletter, or even a
free graphic is something that will make your customer feel
special. Not to mention itÆs a great way to drive in some
traffic to your site!
Real life application: I had the pleasure of working with
Shea Cooper owner of www.CountryDoodleDoo.com recently. She
redid some graphics for my site www.TheCandleCoop.com. Upon
completion of my order she sent me an "extra" email. Upon
opening the email I saw her note that thanked me for being a
customer and said she always provided her customers with
free wallpaper for their desktops to match their site. I was
thrilled. I was impressed with how quickly Shea responded,
how she took on the project with a sense of urgency, and the
way she made me feel special by sending something extra. So
impressed, I brought her on board at www.AdvertisingMoms.com
as our exclusive country graphic designer! See relationships
do pay off!
Point 5: Suggestions Remember back on point 3 when we
talked about listening? Practice that skill again. Only this
time not only listen, but ask too! Ask your customers what
they would like to see on your site. Ask them about any new
colors or products theyÆd be interested in. A great way to
do this is offer a feedback or suggestions form. You can
even go the extra mile to email them personally! Whatever
you do, ask, ask, ask!
Ask for feedback from customers. Ask for suggestions from
other web owners. One thing is for sure, you wonÆt find out
if you donÆt ask! Prepare yourself for the answers youÆll
receive when you do ask. This could possibly be the hardest
thing to do, because they might not always be the answers
you want to hear. Nevertheless, take the suggestions into
consideration, decide what is best for you and take action!
In review weÆve covered five points to stardom; sympathy,
sense of urgency, smile, surprise, and suggestions.
Following these five points is no guarantee to a successful
venture. However, I can guarantee youÆll feel like a star!
Tara Crooks is the site owner and editor of
http://www.AdvertisingMoms.com. She holds a Bachelor of
Business Administration in Human Resource Management. She is
a PROUD Army Wife and WAHM! In addition, she also owns the
website www.TheCandleCoop.com.
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