How to build genuine relationships with customers remotely
Handshakes, whiteboarding sessions and in-person meetings were once the go-to for companies wanting to build rapport with customers or close that sales pitch. But since the pandemic, many have moved to hybrid or remote working models which present their own unique set of challenges.
Sales and service teams who once relied on forging new relationships and strengthening existing ones to bring in business are looking for new ways to reach their customers. And guess what? Your relationships don't have to suffer just because you're running your business remotely. There are plenty of ways you can build genuine connections with customers from afar.
Make it easy for your customers
More and more customers are looking for businesses that are convenient and accessible. And let's face it, we live in a busy world, no one wants a meeting a encroaching on their personal and family time. But there's more to it than just being available when your customer needs you.
Dealing with clunky video conferencing, downloading annoying applications and having to switch between channels and tools to complete tasks are all things that impact your customer experience and ultimately, your relationships. Make sure every step in your sales funnel from chatting to clients to completing a purchase are as easy as possible for your customers.
Take time to get to know your customers
When you're sitting at your computer rather than in person, it's easy to get distracted by what else IS on your screen or what's going on around you. This type of interference can often prevent you from absorbing what your customer is actually saying.
When you're performing a fact find, there are a few things you can do to show you really get your customer:
- Use video chat instead of making a call.
- Allow your customers to collaborate and contribute to the conversation.
- Share your screen so your customer can see what info you're capturing.
- Repeat back what you've heard to show you're listening.
- Follow up with a recap of the conversation this could be a video recording, PDF copy of your session or an email.
Make sure you have top-notch data security
When you move everything online, data security and your customer’s privacy should be a big priority. More than ever, remote teams are embracing technology to help them connect, collaborate and convert their customers. But not all technology is safe and the last thing you want is for a data breach to impact your credibility and relationships.
If you’re collecting personal information or sharing documents, ensure your practices are up to scratch:
- Always use secure devices and networks.
- Give customers access to safe document sharing.
- Ensure customer portals are only accessible with a password.
- Only use tools that have clear and established privacy practices.
- Avoid using email to send contracts and personal information unless it’s encrypted, or password protected.
Customers will feel more comfortable providing you with personal information such as income and finances if they know their privacy is being well looked after. Be upfront about your security practices in your first conversations to help build trust.
Continue to adapt to change.
Most importantly, be ready to adapt to change in order to meet your customer's needs. What works for one customer, may not work for another. That could mean being flexible in your meeting times or looking for alternative ways or tools to solve your customer's critical problems.
At Expertli, we've created a better than in-person experience that enables you to build relationships with customers and help solve their problems from anywhere in the world. Our virtual workspace not only allows you to chat face-to-face and collaborate with your customers, it also boasts bank-grade security and safe document sharing.
We've also made it easy for users and businesses to share their unique customer and business problems so we can solve them together.
We believe relationships are the cornerstone of success in the business world. As customers continue to shift towards online. businesses need to get creative and find innovative solutions to meet their needs. With the right people and tools, you can make your online experience even better than real life.