Staying connected with your existing vendors and customers is essential as a small business owner. The power of staying connected ensures that you provide them with the best products and services. Checking in also allows you to build relationships and keep up with industry trends.
Here are some tips on how to stay connected with your current clients:
• Make a phone call or send an email regularly, even if there isn’t anything new to report. Just checking in shows that you care about them and their business.
• If you’re meeting face-to-face, take the time to ask about their business goals and how you can help them achieve those objectives.
• Be sure to thank them for their business and tell them you appreciate their trust.
• Keep up-to-date on changes in their industry so that you can discuss those topics with them intelligently. By showing that you’re invested in their success, they’ll be more likely to return the favor.
The essential of staying connected with vendors and customers
Staying connected with vendors and customers is essential to running a successful business. Not only does it help maintain strong relationships, but following up consistently can lead to new opportunities and growth.
You can build trust, loyalty, and repeat business by following up regularly and proactively responding to inquiries. Plus, it’s a great way to have potential customers learn more about the value you provide. Taking a few extra minutes each day to check in with existing connections or reach out to potential ones is well worth the effort–so be sure to make following up a priority. You never know who you can help or who can help you!
Why it’s beneficial to your business
Make sure to gather feedback. By investing your time in your connections, you can develop a successful model that will help build relationships and increase loyalty over the long run.
After all, customers are more likely to return if they know you care about their experience with you. From more outstanding customer service to improved efficiency, accepting feedback and applying it to your business is essential to a thriving, sustainable company.
My experience
My family’s shop had a cosmetic packaging customer struggling to organize their inventory. They had a shipping manager running around, putting labels on pallets coming in. When I talked with my buyer, I could hear his frustration and suggested that we put the signs on the pallets before even putting them on the truck.
This led to a process that extended throughout their supply chain. Our customer created a form and told us to buy a canary yellow copy paper and tape this form to the pallet before shipping. Their driver couldn’t take the pallet once it had this form stuck. This only took me less than five minutes, but it saved their staff a lot of time and frustration. And it helped them organize their warehouse.
See, all it took was a quick conversation!
Ultimately, it provides an environment where opportunities for growth and innovation can flourish, producing rewards today and in the future.
How to go about doing it
Taking the first step towards reaching out to someone can be difficult. However, there are various ways in which you can go about it. You could start by reaching out over text; this way, you can take your time and form your thoughts without feeling put on the spot.
You could email or call them from there if that feels more comfortable. There is always some communication tool at our fingertips – whether it’s texting, video chatting, phone calls, etc., so you can choose the best methods for reaching out and getting support.
I’m a little old school, so I like to call and leave a voicemail. In the voicemail, I say I’ll follow up with an email. Then, I shot off a quick email that said, “I just left you a message and checking in to see how you’re doing.” That consistency builds trust.
What to say when you reach out
“We haven’t talked in a bit, so I wanted to reach out and see how you’re doing.”
“It’s been a challenging time, but it’s also brought us all a lot closer together. {discuss} Well, that’s an opportunity to grow and to build on the things we have in common.”
Use your imagination but take into consideration how your vendor or customer talks. Do they like to spin things to the positive? Don’t complain. Do they want to collaborate to solve problems? Listen and pitch in ideas. Ultimately, follow your gut.
In Conclusion
Without consistent follow-up, these valuable relationships can slip through the cracks. Following up after that first reach out is important in securing a relationship and keeping it strong. It’s also an opportunity to show respect and thoughtfulness while maintaining visibility.
Simple steps like responding quickly, setting aside time to check in regularly, having genuine conversations, and staying connected can ensure long-term success.
Checking in with your vendors and customers should be essential to your business strategy. By staying connected, you build relationships that can pay off in the long run. If you’re unsure how to start reaching out or what to say, I’m here to help. You can learn how to create a process for checking in that works for you and your business – reach out for free consultation, and we’ll get started.
Janet Johnson is a small business advisor and author of My Money Pivot: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Finding & Making More Money and this educational blog. All views expressed belong solely to Ms. Johnson and do not represent the views of her employer.