Customers are the life blood of any business and without them you are left with only an idea with little to no market value. Knowing your customers on a personal level and what delights them creates many benefits beyond immediate sales that leads to a higher brand image and improved sales performance. Online reputation is fostered through following up with customers that know your there to help them. Three immediate benefits of following up with customers are 1. Brand Loyalty, 2. Word-of-Mouth Sales Increases, and Increased Customer Reviews.
As a start-up owner of the "learning lab" Escanaba Polo Mallet Company that seeks to understand how small manufacturing can make a come back in the U.S. through regular individuals like you that have an entrepreneurial spirit. Our nation has lost much of its ingenuity and Millennials will be asked to revitalize our lost manufacturing through starting businesses of their own and growing them for market competition.. Each article focuses on a specific topic that is beneficial for others that desire to "put a shingle up".
Customers take the time to review your product, make choices between alternatives and eventually purchase your product. Don't ignore what they have to say! What is important here is that they selected your product for a reason and if you don't know what that reason is then you are limiting your capacity to build off your strengths and correct your weaknesses. In essence, you can't give them more of what they want so your product sales may not flourish as expected.
1.) Regularly Evaluate Your Online Reviews: Online reviews can tell you a lot about how customers feel about your product. If you have negative reviews you can learn from them, reach out to fix the situation, and turn a negative situation into a positive one. If you get a positive review good for you because many people are many times more willing to write something negative versus something positive. This is a comment we are very proud of....
"Flawless Transaction!!! Highly recommend seller! Extremely please! AAAA+++
2.) Follow Up on Questions and Sales: Customers want to feel appreciated and some things small manufacturers can do is answer questions and follow up on sales. Such actions not only help the customer feel special but also to encourage higher levels of feedback that often lead to greater loyalty. Send your customer a follow up message a week or so after their purchase and ask them if they are happy. Answer any emails or forum questions.
This customer reached out for a product and we talked about sizes....
"Exactly as stated, Seller took time to confirm size. having fun with it"
3.) Focus Group on a Shoestring: When you start to manufacture on a small scale you won't have a lot of money so staying very close to your customers will make a big difference in your success. Conducing a focus group doesn't need to be impossible. Sure...you can send people a free mallet and then in turn ask for their advice. You could also ask your recent customers to send you back more detailed information in exchange for a t-shirt, raffle for a new item (i.e. mallet), or some other type of appreciation. You could also consider using a Zoom meeting or something else that could just entice them to become part of the solution to enhancing your product design! Use your creativity here.
A significant portion of profits from Escanaba Polo Mallet are donated to helping orphans, child enrichment and others. Sharing this article increases general knowledge for other entrepreneurs but also raises awareness of our good works company. https://www.escanabapolomallet.com/
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