How to Craft Growth-Enabling Customer Connections

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The success of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) hinges on more than simply acquiring customers. It’s what happens after you’ve signed the deal that establishes sustainable growth. It’s about nurturing meaningful relationships that stand out in a crowded marketplace and ensure your business remains the go-to for what you do. 

According to our latest research in The Voice of SMBs 2024 report, businesses are increasingly recognizing the importance of fostering genuine human connections to drive growth in the long run. 

So, what do you need to know about the art of human connection? And how can you foster this in the daily lives of your customer support and sales teams? Let’s explore. 

A Focus on Human Connection

Customer expectations are evolving. With the acknowledgment that business is always human-to-human (yes, even in the world of B2B), the need for authentic human connections is growing. 

Our findings reveal that 43% of employees emphasize the significance of meaningful customer conversations and connections. In addition, 42% stress the importance of delivering experiences on par with or surpassing larger competitors. As this pressure increases, the need to forge deeper, personal relationships emerges as a key differentiator. 

Customer Satisfaction As A Growth Lever

When considering sustainable growth, 72% of SMBs pinpoint customer satisfaction as their primary focus for the year ahead. This follows a strategic shift towards focusing on retaining and nurturing existing customers in an effort to compete in the market. After all, retaining a customer can cost significantly less than acquiring a new one. 

By understanding the reasons behind customer churn and leveraging insights from your business tools, you can tailor your sales and customer support strategies to increase customer retention. The result? A more sustainable approach to business growth. 

A Balancing Act With Technology

As technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, SMBs need to strike a delicate balance between leveraging automation and preserving the human touch. While AI and automation offer efficiencies, we must tread carefully to avoid alienating customers with impersonal interactions. Instead, technology can be used to drive hyper-personalized customer experiences; whether it’s by freeing up time for reps to focus on this themselves or by unlocking insights to tailor communications.

4 Principles To Drive Customer Connection

To thrive in this new era of customer-centricity, you can adopt several strategies to strengthen human connections with your customers (and prospects). 

• Personalization: use data-driven insights to personalize customer interactions and tailor solutions to their unique preferences.

• Balance: foster an environment where meaningful conversations are empowered by technology and take precedence over scripted exchanges.

• Consistency: streamline internal processes to deliver a friction-free customer experience.

• Efficiency: respect customers’ time by focusing on addressing their needs efficiently, while delighting them with a meaningful interaction.

By embracing these principles, SMBs can cultivate authentic connections that drive customer satisfaction, foster loyalty and proper business growth for the years to come. 

Ready to drive customer engagement? 

If you want to foster a sustainable growth model through better customer connection, download our Action Plan and delve into the full Voice of SMBs report. 

Published on May 6, 2024.