Do you tell your customers how good you are?
Today, delivering high levels of customer service has become a key objective for most successful businesses, and quite right to. But do you remind your customers about the level of service they receive from you? Perhaps they just take the service they receive for granted and view you as the same as all of the others.
In specification selling the delivery of top quality technical advice is a key differentiator for companies. But how often do you remind them about the service they receive from you and how it has helped them? I’m not suggesting that you take out advertisements saying how great you are, but find subtle ways of reminding them. Perhaps at the end of a technical enquiry there could be a quick summary of what has been achieved. “So you called wanting to know how you could meet the requirements of the Building Regulations, we have proposed product X and I’m emailing you our standard specification. Does that meet all of your requirements?” or at the end of a sales call “We have reviewed your drawings and I’ve suggested a solution to your problems. Has that created a practical design solution?”
Most companies log the number of technical enquiries they receive and this also presents an opportunity to remind the market of the service you provide. Again this needs to be done in a subtle manner. Perhaps comparing the level of enquiries in 2010 with 2011 and issuing a press release commenting on what this means for the industry. You could also discuss how the mix of enquiries has changed, reminding specifiers of the range of products you offer.
As well as telling the market how busy you have been and how comprehensive your service is, it is also important to listen to your customers. Often the best way of achieving this is with an independent customer satisfaction or perception study. Not just talking to your direct customers, but also the second tier such as architects and engineers. What do they think of your company, how do you compare with your competitors? When we have conducted such surveys for our clients they have often been surprised by some of the views held. While it can be nice to hear good feedback, it is often the bad news which can signpost the opportunities for improvement which will allow you to gain an advantage over your competitors.
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Chris is founder of Competitive Advantage Consultancy Limited which specialises in market research and training for the construction industry. He is also a member of the organising committee for CIMCIG, the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s Construction Industry Group
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