Today’s customers are highly aware and leverage the Internet to scour information. Sirius Decisions estimates that B2B buyers are already 70 percent through the buying process before they contact the vendor.
To retain customers in such a fluid environment marked by fleeting customer loyalties, marketers need to nurture valuable relationships with prospects.
So, how do you do this effectively? Here are a couple ways to do so:
Respect the customer. The marketer needs to accept the customer as educated and highly aware, responding to their actual need rather than jumping in too early, going overboard or putting pressure to buy too early. Most buyers now contact the customer after they commit to change, and when in the process of exploring various solution. The job of the marketer is to persuade the vendor to commit to the solution offered by them and then provide the necessary inputs that allow them to justify their decision.
Provide relevant messages. This is an extension of respecting the customer. The marketer providing relevant messages rather than trying to push something improves credibility and trust, crucial in striking a chord and establish a long lasting relationship. When trying to veer the customer towards a particular thing, the marketer may strive to educate the buyer rather than offer suggestions or recommendations.
Respond in an appropriate manner. The marketer needs to select the communication medium that would provide a pleasurable engagement experience. This requires aligning tools with relationships. For instance, while blogs, social media and the website primarily serve to attract leads, emails and marketing automation interventions primarily serve to nurture the lead. The marketer may need to do some background research to personalize conversation and be prepared for what the consumer would prefer.
The need of the hour is to establish a relationship that allows the consumer to be in charge. Want to know how? Our webinar “How Relationships Drive Revenue” explains the methodology in detail.
