Think Personal: CRM Tips for Home Business Owners

Filed in archive marketing on April 19, 2007

Customer relation management is simply maintaining a good working relationship with your customers without compromising the integrity and value of your business. Take note of these tips as you build and widen your market.

1. Many companies believe in treating their customers personally, while others give stiff respect to theirs. Hit the balance: Greet your customers by name only after you have known them for a while. Start with a formal address of Mr. or Ms., as this shows respect. Only when they prompt you to call them by their first name should you proceed.

This tip may seem too basic, and almost useless. You need to put yourself in your customer's shoes to understand its value. Have you ever felt unappreciated because of the way someone addressed you? Have you ever felt affirmed because of a certain degree of respect accorded to you? Customer relationship management works the same way: it begins by building a strong relationship between customer and provider.

2. If your home business caters closely to people's needs, then do a Sherlock Holmes on your customers. Listen closely to what they say, but observe them closely and listen to the things that they don't. If your customer is dressed shabbily but claims that he or she has money to spend, then you may choose to not grant credit to him or her in the future.

In other words, know what your customers need without them having to tell you. This requires a little practice, but in time, your observation skills can equal that of fiction's most famous detective. Don't forget to take down notes and document your customer's needs and wants so that you don't lose track of them when your market base widens.

3. When contacting your customers, talk to them over the phone or speak to them personally. This is better than leaving them a note or email: it can allow you to gauge their emotions, and it can even force delinquent customers to pay their dues. When talking to customers, make sure that your customer notes are on hand so that you don't forget what things are unique to your customer.

4. Don't be afraid to give away a few things for free to loyal customers. Just be sure that these things are things that they could want or need - you will know by consulting your notes.

5. Not all customers will be easy to handle, and not all of them can appreciate your kindness. However, never let this deter you from being polite.