Now is a very difficult time for businessmen. Not everyone is able to keep their business afloat. According to statistics, out of 10, new 8 businesses will be closed over time. So it turns out that entrepreneurs have the highest risks. The business researcher Pavel Maestro discusses the advantages of the company that can lead it into leaders.
Pavel Maestro is an entrepreneur, business researcher and founder of the Magic Marketing consulting company. It is guided by the principle "business is a gambling game with its own rules and risks, where the consumer is the judge." Opponent of gray marketing methods and methods of "pushing", believes that customers should be "done" for the sake of customers, and in business there are endless opportunities for creating something new that can be useful to people and make them happier.
www.magicmarketing.ru
Into the soul and heart of the buyer
I think that in these difficult times, the number one problem for most entrepreneurs is the question "Where to get more clients?" Unfortunately, in the pursuit of quantity, quality is often overlooked. Most businessmen for some reason generally forget that they have clients and it is the clients who pay them money. And only they can recommend the company, they are able to tell all their friends and acquaintances about it, and in the end - to make your business profitable.
It is very important for entrepreneurs to understand that their business must first of all exist for consumers. Unfortunately, many people forget about this. Sometimes you have a conversation with a particular entrepreneur about a business and you realize that a person has opened a new business exclusively for himself and not for consumers. So the main question arises: how can a business develop in general if it brings its main benefit to its owner, and not to its customers.
Today, the consumer is in a very difficult situation. There are too many offers of goods and services on the market, and if a person wants to buy something, he has to rack his brains pretty much over where to make a purchase. Personally, I, as a consumer, always encounter such a problem. Prices for all are approximately the same, everyone promises high quality and excellent service, everyone has certain loyalty systems that promise the benefits of the transaction. So is there any difference from whom to buy the product, if in fact the sellers are not very different from each other.
In such circumstances, those who will not only be able to penetrate into the very heart of the client, but most importantly - “settle” there for a long time will definitely win. To be more precise, every entrepreneur should, at the time of providing his services or selling a product, put a good memory of himself in the heart of the buyer, and then constantly maintain it. And one more important point: if you want your client to become your free ad, the client must leave you super happy! And then he will have an excellent occasion to tell all his surroundings about you.
In exchange for money
In the next few years, the role of service in the success of any business will significantly increase, if not to say that it will become dominant. It is very important to understand that the service has two components: the first is the requirements of the market, the second is everything that is outside the market. This is where entrepreneurs make their biggest mistake. Most of them are always in the requirements of the market, and few offer something outside of it. However, the consumer reacts and remembers exactly the actions outside the general scheme, since the actions in the market are familiar to him.
For people, the role of service in selling them goods or providing services always comes first. According to the results of many studies, about 90% of all consumers when choosing a product are guided by quality and service, and only 10% of consumers - by price. Most clients are well aware that a low price usually stands next to low quality and service and is only a reason to lure a client, and not a reason to provide him with quality service. Of course, in an economic crisis, the price begins to prevail over any other components of a product or service. But when all market players start dumping, it turns out that the client starts paying attention to service and quality of service.
For me, as for many, service is, first of all, taking care of me. This is the ability of the supplier of services and goods to show me my importance to them, the ability to take care of me in time and lend a shoulder. I think most people are unfamiliar with this feeling. Ask yourself a simple question: "Which company cares about you?" You can hardly find an answer to this question. As you ponder the answer to this question, you will most likely come to the disappointing conclusion that there are no such companies. The lucky one is the one who remembers one or two.
And this is the situation: you are constantly forced to pay money for goods and services, and there are practically no companies that are really interested in you being their customers. There are many companies that are ready to offer you discounts, service, etc., but all their desire ends when they receive money from you and after that they forget about you. As a result, the client has to constantly look for new suppliers of goods and services.
It has always been a big question for me why suppliers of goods and services are willing to invest huge amounts in advertising to attract new consumers, while forgetting completely about regular customers who can bring a lot of benefit to the company. I can say for sure that almost all the companies from which I buy goods or services are not interested in me making purchases from them again. I don’t feel that they want me to be their regular customer.
Recommend means love
I’ll tell you one story that happened to me this year. I needed to call a taxi. I quickly found a service number on the Internet and called the operator, the girl said that the car would have to wait 15 minutes. I asked again if the car would be accurate at the indicated time, the operator assured me that I would not have to wait longer than the announced deadline. It all suited me, and I said that I would wait. I must say right away that I often use taxi services.
It took 15 minutes, then 20. I called the operator and they told me that the car would be on the spot. Five minutes later I had to dial the operator's number again ... As a result, the car arrived in 30 minutes. Of course, I told the operator everything I think about the company and the level of their service. But this is not the end of the story. I'm driving to work in a long-awaited car, and suddenly a call from a taxi company rings. I am informed that they want to make up for the extra time I spent waiting and offer to order pizza in one of the city's pizzerias, which I knew well. Well, I think this is another "unnecessary gift" for a disgruntled client and most likely you can order the smallest and cheapest pizza. Imagine my surprise when I was offered to choose any pizza from the menu! As a result, the cost of pizza exceeded the cost of a taxi ride five times.
The result of this story was that I became a regular customer of this taxi, I told all my friends this story and gave everyone the phone of this taxi. Now I am telling you this story. For sure: in this case, by spending money on pizza, the taxi won. This story shows very well how, by working correctly with a client, you can turn even a negative situation to your advantage. And most importantly, this taxi immediately became number one for me from all the existing ones in the city.
Most entrepreneurs have completely forgotten about such a channel as a direct recommendation. I consider this channel one of the most powerful tools that they can use. Remember how you make the decision to buy something. First of all, you consult with friends. The experience of your acquaintances is usually of paramount importance to you when choosing a supplier of goods or services. The development of social media, platforms for fast communications only strengthened the role of recommendations in the success of any business.
In many businesses, it is recommendations that drive the business. Customers who come by recommendation are good for several reasons. Firstly, these customers treat you in advance loyally. Secondly, they usually order more than customers who come for advertising. Thirdly, these customers can always be sold at a higher price.
I believe that from the moment a person opens a business, he must constantly work on this channel. And I strongly recommend that all entrepreneurs ask themselves the question as often as possible: "How to make sure that any client brings at least one more client?" Imagine a situation that you have no ads and your regular customers are the main source of your new customers. I am sure that you will discover many new things and can seriously improve the performance of your business. The correct use of this one channel alone has made many businesses super profitable.
Now I'll tell you the most important thing. As I said, service is primarily about your attitude and care for your customers. All this comes from a correct understanding of the specifics of doing business, when the entrepreneur has his client in the first place, when the entrepreneur is ready to sacrifice his own interests for the interests of the client. And it is this position that brings the maximum benefit to the entrepreneur.
A properly built service strategy does not allow your client to even mentally choose and buy goods or services from another supplier. It blocks any attempts by your competitors to take your place in the heart of the client. It makes your client constantly talk about you and recommend you to his friends. This strategy turns customers into your fans, which is especially valuable and very important for any business.
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