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Connecting with your customers is one of the most important parts of building your small
business brand, but it can also be one of the most difficult. Few modern small business
owners have a traditional storefront that allows them to have an actual conversation
with the people who buy from them. Others may have a traditional business with a physical
location, but find that it is still difficult to find time for that human touch. Here are
a few tips for making the connection with your customers.
Ask open-ended questions. Whether you are interacting with your customers in person
or via a social networking page, ask questions that will get a thoughtful answer. In general,
these include any question that cannot be answered with a single word. This will allow
you to start a meaningful conversation, gaining important information about your consumer
base while also making a valuable connection. Examples of open-ended questions:
How is (health care reform, globalization, changes in regulation, other contemporary
issue) going to affect you? What product is your favorite and why?
How do you plan to spend this holiday weekend? Think outside the workplace. Neither you nor
your customers exist in a bubble. There is a whole wide world out there, with trends,
news, and generally lots of stuff going on. You can set yourself apart by discussing some
of these issues as they affect your business. Avoid being opinionated about overly controversial
topics, however—this will turn many people off. Stay professional, but stay up with the
times. Good topics for conversation:
News related to your business. Advocacy and need.
Humorous topics. Be a person. It’s not unusual for people
to feel that they must be 100% professional at work and leave their personal life at home.
This is the American way of business, and we are trained in it from the day we start
our first job. However, many people patronize small businesses for that human touch. It’s
okay—and even beneficial—to let your customers see that you have a very human life outside
of work in small ways: by posting your child’s drawing in the office, including a little
personal detail in your ‘About Me’ webpage, or otherwise.
Use your new knowledge. The great thing about making a connection is that it goes both ways.
As your customers come to know more about you and your business (encouraging them to
choose your brand), you also will learn more about your customers. This will allow you
to guide your business toward a more customer-friendly brand and tap into needs before your competitors
even see them. Engaging your customers is more difficult
than it sounds. You will usually have to reach out multiple times before you begin to get
meaningful responses. Further, what works with one set of consumers might not be effective
with another. This is an area where a little experimentation can pay off immensely. People
long for that personal touch, but few business owners take the time to give it to them.