Staying Top of Mind After the Close: Marketing and Customer Value

You’ve attracted, educated and engaged a lead. You’ve delighted and (drumroll please) ... closed! Now, how do you stay top of mind for that customer and keep the flywheel spinning? Answer: by reinforcing your value.

Value is comprised of the benefits and services a customer perceives over and above their inputted cost in terms of time, effort, energy, the price paid, etc.  

Anything that causes friction for your customers is a value detractor. Conversely, seamless support and consistent experience will contribute to your company’s worth in the eyes of a customer.

The link between marketing and customer value is strong. While everything from product functionality, personal bias and the invoicing process can drive value for your customers, your marketing strategy has the vital task of translating this value to your customers.

How?

Research and Discovery

The first step for your marketing team is to learn about your customers’ values. Surveys and focus groups provide great opportunities to solicit feedback on your products, services, relationship management and processes. Once you’ve completed your initial discovery, make sure you develop internal processes to listen and continually solicit feedback throughout the customer journey. This could mean implementing a chat feature on your website, quarterly net promoter score surveys (NPS) or scheduling check-in calls with your customers. Make it easy for customers to contact you, know when they will get a response and what that response will look like.

Design and Delivery

After arming your team with rich customer feedback, your next step is to use that information to craft a customer relationship strategy designed to build and maintain credibility. Your strategy can be comprised of a limitless mix of tactics, such as newsletters, supplier-led training sessions or informational drip campaigns. The key is making sure your tactics align with the following attributes:

• Consistent: Consistency breeds trust. Trust feeds value. Deliver a steady flow of consistent messaging on which your customers can rely.
• Mutual: Relationships are a two-way street. Don’t speak at your customers—engage them in meaningful dialogue by asking questions, listening, and delivering up solution-oriented content and services.
• Personal: Different customers have different issues and needs. Segment your customers and deliver the most relevant content based on these distinctions.
• Positive: Emphasize the good stuff! Own what you excel at and create shared memories around results. Look for opportunities to continually delight your customers.
• Dynamic: Be willing to switch things up and respond to changes in customer preferences. Customer needs and values change over time and can be impacted by seasons, geography, new hires, etc.

Your company cannot be everything to every customer. But, if you focus on learning what your customers value, and evolving your marketing strategies to deliver that value, you will build customer relationships that last.