You can learn many things you didn't know about your business by getting valuable feedback from your customers. Your customers may buy your main product just to get the free gifts. Your visitors may think it's to hard to navigate through your web site.
By knowing this type of important information you can improve your web site, products/services, advertising, and marketing. Below are nine techniques you can use to get valuable feedback from your customers.
-Use surveys and questionnaires regularly to improve your business. Publish them on your web site, e-zine, print newsletter, direct mail material, include them with product shipments or inside product packages. Post them on appropriate online message boards, e-mail discussion lists and newsgroups on the internet.
-Create an online community for your customers. Include a chat room, message board, e-mail discussion list on your site for customers to participate in. You can regularly moderator these communities to see what your customers are saying about your business.
-Give away your products to a group of your customers. Ask them to use and review the product. Ask them to fill out an evaluation form and send it back. Some customers may fill them out, some may not, but the feedback you do get will be valuable.
-Offer your web site visitors an online product or service from your web site at no cost. It could be an ebook, search engine submission, consulting via e-mail, web design, etc. In return, ask them to fill out a short survey about your web site, products or services you're selling, customer service, or your web site.
-Create a customer focus group. Invite ten to twenty of your most loyal customers to meet regularly. They will give you ideas and input on how to improve your customer service. You could pay them, take them out to dinner or give them free products.
-Stay in contact with customers on a regular basis. Offer them a free e-zine subscription. Ask customers if they want to be updated by e-mail when you make changes to your Web site. After every sale, follow-up with the customer to see if they are satisfied with their purchase.
-Make it easy for your customers to contact you. Offer as many contact methods as possible. Allow customers to contact you by e-mail. Hyperlink your e-mail address so customers won't have to type it. Offer toll free numbers for phone and fax contacts. This will make it easy for your customers to voice their opinions.
-You could regularly contact customers on birthdays or holidays. Send thank you gifts to lifetime customers. E-mail them online greeting cards on holidays or birthdays. Call them personally to wish them a happy holiday. You couldthem follow-up with a survey or ask them if they're happy with your business.
-Invite your customers to company meetings, luncheons, workshops or seminars. Create special events for your customers like parties, barbecue's, dances etc. Make a point for yourself and your employees to interact with them at these event to get valuable feedback for your business.
You could use a couple or all of the techniques listed above to get valuable customer feedback. These aren't the only ways, be creative and come up with some of your own.
9 Secret Ways To Get Valuable Feedback From Your Customers
Become a More Valuable Virtual Assistant
Being of value to your client or your boss is invaluably important to job security. But how does one go about creating value? You become more knowledgeable and indispensable. Learn as much as you can about what your boss/client does.
Ask questions. Most people are flattered to know that you care enough to ask how they do what they do and why they do it.
By learning more and asking more, you will be able to answer questions about the client/boss to his or her potential clients. If you can help him or her along this is way, you will inevitably become indispensable.
Make suggestions. If you see ways to improve a particular process or task - whether it creates greater efficiency or saves money - you'll look like the hero.
Offer to save the client/boss money. Everyone - I don't care how rich or poor they are - likes to save money. Don't recommend something you know to be a waste. Instead, offer a better, cheaper, more efficient option.
Practice good will. It goes a long way. A good example: This week a client asked about finding a particular list for him. No problem, I'd researched something similar for another client. I gave him the contact information so he could check it out and perhaps buy the list (from another vendor). He asked,
"Well, how are you going to make money on this?"
My response?
"I won't and I don't need to - all I did was refer you to someone who could help you out."
He would have gladly paid me $100 for the referral - even offered to. But, my offer of good will in not accepting that $100 will net me a lot more in future business than just $100 one-time. I don't want him to think that every time I do a favor he owes me money. I want to build up that favor bank so he owes me favors and has no other option but to pay those favors back in the way of referrals and/or future business. And, because he now knows I'm not going to rip him off, he'll keep coming back forever!
Let the client/boss know what else you can do. Listen to him rattle on about his thoughts, ideas, and business philosophies. When you hear some little tidbit that you can help with - mention it! You'll get more work and he'll have more faith in your abilities.
Be willing to accept suggestions. Of course, this one's a no-brainer.
Don't whine! When a client/boss asks for something, don't whine about it - just do it. If they think they have a whiner on their hands they won't want anything to do with you.
If you work as an admin or assistant of any kind, you need to be able to enjoy serving other people. That's the basis of your job - realize that use a corresponding attitude
Improve your skills. If you're so-so at using Excel, being a whiz will carry you far. Most software programs have tutorials build right in. Use it! In your own time, run through the tutorials and practice, practice, practice. Join a chat group if you need to learn more of the software's functions. Then let the client/boss know what you can do. It's always impressive when someone says,
"I know how to do this now, and may I help you?"
A good share of being a good admin is putting yourself in the other person's shoes. Ask yourself on a regular basis,
"How would I want this done and what response would I expect from someone working for me?"
Your answer to that question is exactly how you should handle the situation/request.