Six Tips for Interacting with Customers When You are in a Unique Niche
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4 min read
With the recent period of uncertainty, many of us may be thinking of how we conduct our creative businesses, and how we engage with our customers and each other. Whether you are reflecting on your current practices, or devising future strategies, if you work in a unique niche, there are some things to consider for interacting with those who seek your service or product. Angela Baker explains.
Companies that offer in-demand products and services – products for home and office; health and beauty-related items; clothing and accessories, software, games, technical devices, etc. have a large potential customer base and can develop a broad marketing strategy that will be spread all over the web. Even if they narrow their base, to specific age or income groups, their audience is still broad.
But what if you have a small, rather unique niche? What if you are a wedding planner? What if you are a creative writer? Suppose you are a songwriter of religious choral anthems? What if you create made-to-order wall art? What if you craft unique urns for the ashes of loved ones? You have a far smaller audience and customer base.
With that small base, you have many benefits but also some unique challenges in terms of customer interaction.
First the Benefits
There are some benefits to a small, unique niche.
1. You have a smaller customer base, and you can focus more on high-quality engagements and very personalized nurturing – via emails, responses, follow-ups. You can also accommodate specific customer service requests that may veer from the normal.
2. You don’t have as much competition as larger niches do. You can get to know your competition very well and continue to monitor their strategies and prices. Think about how many companies out there are selling furniture – those that focus only on furniture and those big-box retailers who have also gotten into the furniture business. Now, you sell custom-made furniture, made only as it is ordered. Your field of competition is far narrower. The “big boys” can’t compete with you.
3. Word of Mouth Marketing. When you have a niche market, those customers tend to talk with one another. If you have a fully gluten-free bakery, for example, that audience makes up a group that talks to one another and makes recommendations. Sam Johnson, Marketing Director for the writing service Be Graded, puts it this way:
“We provide writing help to students. In the grand scheme of things, we operate within a small niche. And students talk to each other a lot. When they ask for recommendations from each other, and we come up positive, we get more business. Our happy customers are the best marketing we have.”
4. You more easily become an “expert.” With so few in your market place, it is easier to position yourself as an expert – through your website, your blog, your social media presence, and your advertising. You can provide education on the topics that most interest your smaller audience.
5. You need fewer resources. Businesses spend a lot of money on data research to identify and understand their target audiences. With a small niche, your need to do this diminishes a lot. You can still dig into the data, but you have a very small demographic to identify and analyze. It costs far less. You also do not have to segment your audience as larger businesses do.
6. You probably enjoy your work more. When you are passionate about one smaller product or service you are providing, you do not see serving customers and marketing as drudgery. You love what you do. Plus, you get to be the big fish in the small pond.
Establishing and Maintaining Great Customer Interaction
Your success ultimately depends on how customers feel about the product or service you have provided and how they feel about you personally. All of this adds up to your reputation and how you manage it.
Here are six key factors in successful customer interaction:
1. Communication, communication, communication. Each customer or client is a “jewel.” You want to protect it, polish it, and maintain its brilliance. You want to be in continual communication with your customers from the moment they make a decision to purchase from you, through the final delivery of the product, and thereafter. For example, Top Essay Writing’s policy is to put every student and his assigned writer in direct communication throughout the process of filling that customer writing order. In the end, the student gets what he wants and is happy. With a small customer base, you can keep those lines of personal communication open and prevent misunderstandings and dissatisfaction.
2. Act as a consultant, not a salesperson. When a potential customer contacts you, do a lot of active listening and ask solid questions. You need to give hits person the impression that you are an expert, you know what you are doing, and that your role is to ensure that they get exactly what they want. You may make suggestions, provide plenty of options, etc. but always listen for their feedback.
3. Make yourself available as much as your own schedule will allow. Do not put them off. Set a definite time for a conversation if you are not immediately available. And keep that appointment, without exception.
4. Show appreciation at all times. This can be in the form of a gift, holiday cards, and even discounts on a future purchase. For example, Classy Essay provides its customers with a discount every time they return.
5. Address any concern, question, or complaint immediately. You cannot allow these things to fester, or you will ultimately lose that customer. Make it right, even if it means you earn a little less.
6. Showcase your customers on your website, in your social media posts, and even in your blog if you have one. Everyone loves a little public attention – it’s a psychological thing. And it gives you a chance to show your work as well.
It’s Really All About Relationships
Every interaction you have with a customer should have one goal – establishing, solidifying, and/or improving your relationship with them. When you stick to this goal, your business will grow.
Author Bio:
Angela Baker is a self-driven specialist who is currently working as a freelance writer/blogger for several writing services including Studyker, WriteScout and Subjecto. As well, she is an editor and blogger for what she considers to be the best online essay writing services review agency, Pick the Writer. Rounding out her current work, she also writes for LiveInspiredMagazine. Angela is passionate about her career as a writer and hopes to inspire others to do the same.