Attracting and keeping customers is not easy. There are many factors that affect this. Your marketing, people, and products, as well as your training and personnel, all have to be considered. We often look at each of these areas and try to improve them. These areas have seen so many articles and books that we often forget the basics. The Customer Relationship Process (CRP) is a way to do this. This process is made up of five steps. The last step feeds back into the first. It is a continuous loop.
1. 1. Build trust
2. Understand the Need
3. Recommendations
4. Deliver product or service
5. Customer Satisfaction (then, back to number 1)
This process can be repeated. It must be. It is a task that must be done without error, so it should be easy to understand. It’s an inextricable loop. It is an involved loop because when CRP is done correctly, it results in a long-term relationship. Your customers are happy and will continue to be loyal to you and your brand. Let’s take each step one at a.
Building trust
This is how you show your customer and prospects that you are trustworthy, likable, and have the expertise to stand out in a crowded market. Listening to your customer and not trying to impress others about your company’s capabilities allows you to move naturally to the next stage.
Understanding Need
What does the customer really want? Ask questions that are focused on the need. Every customer is different, but it will be helpful to create a basic interview process that customers can use. You can also collect data from listening posts on the market in addition to the interview. This data from past, current, and future customers can help you build a stronger foundation for understanding.
Recommend Solutions:
Have you ever said to a customer, “Here’s what we should do?” What’s stopping you from telling your customers, “here’s what I think we should do?” Some people know what they want and are able to articulate it clearly. Others may struggle. If you have achieved the first two steps successfully, it is natural to recommend a solution. It’s not about selling. It is the result of successfully executing the previous two steps.
Deliver
Now that you’ve successfully navigated the first three steps, it’s time for you to demonstrate your skills. This step can be achieved if your company has sufficient flexibility and a balance between tight and loose control. Once you have established the customer’s requirements, you are able to understand them and deliver superior results than anyone else.
Customer satisfaction
This is the step that keeps the loop alive and moving. The other steps were easy. Customers will be more satisfied, which will foster and sustain long-term relationships. Customer service never ends. There are specific customers you can only serve once. You still have data to learn from for those who aren’t quite ready to go down the aisle again.
CRP keeps you in business for an extended period of time. This loop is a great way to cement long-term relationships that lead to successful business partnerships. Try it.
