Back in November my sons attended a kick-boxing class for the first time. It was run by a guy called Dermot. As I was depositing them I reached for my wallet only for Dermot to say cheerfully: “first night’s free!”
Immediately he made a good impression.
With that small gesture, did Dermot increase the chances of the boys signing up for a regular slot? Yes.
Did he increase his chances of getting positive local PR through word of mouth? Yes.
Fast forward to last week. And the positive local PR had done its job. This time two friends of one of my sons also went to the class. Another two new recruits for Dermot.
Would the new recruits have gone if they hadn’t heard positive things from my son? Did Dermot’s “small gesture” have ripple effects?
Can you apply this to your business? Can you do anything for your customers that will increase the chances of them spreading a positive word about you?
If you’re thinking you could be doing stuff, but you’re not sure what the specific things are, then ask them!
Yep. Ask those customers. They won’t bite. I called one of my customers last week to see what he thought of a particular service he gets from me. He ended up thanking me for asking him the question – and apologised for a tangent he went off on.
And actually, even if they do bite, you’ve learnt something haven’t you? You not talking to them doesn’t mean they’re not feeling what they’re feeling. Indeed, you not talking to them might make them feel worse because, from their perspective, you’re behaving indifferently towards them.
If their grievance is justified then you’ve action to take. And if their grievance is unjustified then you can consider if you want to continue working with them.
If the time is right for you to get your finger on the pulse of your customers, book a slot directly in my calendar and let’s talk.
