Many industries are still reeling from the effects the coronavirus pandemic has had on the economy. Social-distancing measures have caused CEOs across the world to reconsider how they serve their customers and what is considered essential during this trying time.
That being said, you shouldn’t be walking around saying that all is lost for businesses, regardless of your industry. Even if earnings might be down this quarter, you have three more quarters to make up for lost ground. Here are a few creative ways to double your customer base by the second quarter.
Focus on customer service.
In order to build your customer base, it’s important to focus on retaining your existing customers, too. It’s far more costly to acquire new customers than retain current ones, and these numbers are most likely exacerbated in the midst of a global pandemic. As a result, you need to make sure that your support agents are really prioritizing your existing customers, who may become brand evangelists in the midst of all that is going on in the world.
Think about it this way: if your automotive insurer wasn’t being lenient when it comes to reducing insurance costs while you’re not driving as much, wouldn’t you be looking to make a switch? The way that businesses respond to this crisis says a lot about how they value their customers, and word-of-mouth is an incredibly powerful tool while more people are online during their self-quarantine. As a result, it’s vital that you have a contact center solution that allows your live agents to do the best work possible.
Your call center and support agents are your first line of communication with most of your customers right now, so be sure to invest in the right call center software and features. Having an SOC 2 compliant call center is also a good idea since it will protect your business from leaks of customer data.
Target your marketing campaigns based on geography.
If you see that you have some new customers, a good idea is to see where in the United States they’re located. After all, different communities are responding to this crisis differently, so it’s worth considering that different attitudes and behaviors from location to location may have an impact on customer sentiment in those regions.
Using a free people search engine, you can look up helpful information about new customers such as their address and family members, even if they don’t provide this information when filling out a lead generation form. This helps you better identify trends that may or may not exist based on geography.
Offer freebies to remind people you’re still around.
A well-timed promotion can be a great way to remind people that you’re still in business during these strange times. While commercials can work to a certain degree, it’s important to note that you might face employee backlash if there’s a disconnect between what you’re professing in your advertisements and the policies you’re actually implementing in your business. For that reason, a promotion can be a much safer bet.
Take fast-food giant, Wendy’s, for example. They’re taking their cue from social distancing measures by offering to give a “group hug” to everyone. That being said, they’ve thought outside of the box and changed the concept of “group hug” to become a “group nug,” by offering free four-piece chicken nuggets to anyone who uses their drive-through.
While not every company uses drive-throughs, even being able to send a small gift in the mail could be great and thoughtful. After all, with fewer tradeshows in the foreseeable future, you’re going to have to do something with all of that swag with your logo on it!
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
