After last month’s post, I know all you leaders worked hard to find the balance between technical efficiencies and genuine human interactions with your customer service team and your customers! Your homework was to talk to both groups—and if you didn’t, it’s not too late to do so. 🙂 I’d love to hear how some of those conversations went and some of the specifics you had them employ. (Minimally, I hope your agreements were “COVID” modified). Email them to me.
Create a Customer Communication Management Strategy
Now that you’ve had some human-to-human conversation, I want to follow up that post by sharing more about how you can effectively communicate, specifically with your customers. We’re talking about having a Customer Communication Management (CCM) strategy; which is vital to your customer retention and the overall long-term viability of your business.
Customer Communication Preferences Are Changing
The reality is that your customer’s preferred means of communication is changing. Be honest: How often do you answer your phone when the number isn’t in your contacts? Not very often! How many emails from brands—even those you patronize—do you open? Data suggests you open 25 percent of those.
Text Message Marketing and Communication Are Game-Changers
The point is that you have recently been ghosted by a customer after repeated contacts have been made via email and phone. Have you tried reaching out to that same customer via text or mobile messaging? I started doing this in the past 12 months and have been amazed at how this same customer now responds often in less than 30 seconds. Why was I not texting them earlier? It would have saved me a lot of time!
Text Open Rates Are at an Eye-Opening 93 Percent
Texts and mobile messages get opened at a 93 percent rate. Yes, please, I’ll take business efficiencies for the win. Again, this is not only for your benefit but for the benefit of your customers. The digitally native younger generations genuinely prefer this method of communication.
Coronavirus Pandemic Likely Is Changing Your CCM Strategy
If you’re not quite ready to make the jump to texting, let me encourage you to take some action. The good news is that COVID-19 has already got you moving in that direction (probably). Whether it be web chats, digital sales presentations, video webinars or otherwise, you’ve made changes. Continue to do so, and your customers will become brand advocates!
If you need more advice or implementation assistance with text communication, don’t hesitate to reach out to me!
