A thin business card is like a limp handshake and an unanswered social media comment is like walking into a business and getting completely ignored by the staff.
Sometimes the things described above are the first impression a customer receives from your business, and these days first impressions can come from ANYWHERE... so managing your touchpoints and creating positive first impressions is what this post is all about.
Touchpoints?
EVERY part of your business that a customer comes into contact with is a touchpoint. Your Answering machine message, brochures, email signature.... your vehicle access, choice of toilet paper and EVERYTHING in between.
If a customer sees your brand or anything about your business it means
they are already SEARCHING for a product or service that you may provide.You need to properly manage these customer contacts. You need to make your touchpoints consistent with your brand AND your touchpoints need to be geared towards meeting the needs of your target audience.
"Customers are looking for confirmation,that what you offeris going to meet their needs."
Because every business is different, touchpoint selection changes as well. An online business relies heavily on providing easy site navigation and usability, a retail store utilises in-store displays and customer service; each have there own unique touchpoint requirements. If your customer reaches a touchpoint and thinks that your business may not meet their needs they will simply walk away and purchase somewhere else.... if your touchpoints lack impact customers have plenty of other options available to them, they won't even bother to walk through your door even if you do have products that meet their needs.
Real World...
A quote from a plumber can be hand written or it can be an opportunity to display their logo and relevant promotions to the customer... and although only a small aspect of a business, with proper analysis any touchpoint can have more impact.
EG: Your plumber comes around to do a quote on a bathroom renovation. When you receive the emailed quote a clickable promotion for kitchen renovation plumbing is found at the bottom of the email with a few short testamonials.
This indicates that...
- the plumber does regular renovation work
- combining bathroom and kitchen plumbing may lead to a greater discount
- the plumber has experience
- positive testimonials indicate the plumber does a good job
The plumber also benefits from...
- greater awareness of additional services
- direct marketing to generate future sales
- click through onto the business website
- increased customer engagement
Do your emails contain links to your current promotions? If your prospective customer is already engaged make the most of it!
A word of warning...
Badly executed touchpoints will turn customers away. Following up a positive customer service contact with 10 automated promotional emails will undo your customer service efforts and lead to instant distrust. A hand written quote may seem unprofessional compared to a printed quote on company stationery... on the flipside... some people may perceive a hand written quote as more genuine and personal ...it all comes down to your customers perception!
Now is the time to sit down and write a list of ALL the ways YOUR customers come into contact with your brand. Analyse each touchpoint and note how a customer would perceive your brand via that point?...are your touchpoints as good as they could be? If your touchpoints don't match up to your brand its time to get to work, prioritise the list and make that first impression count.
What innovative ways have you used to create memorable touchpoints?
What are your thoughts on Touchpoints for your small business?
Feel free to comment below.
