What is your customer success anyway?
Regardless of the business you’re in, you either sell a product or service or both. It goes without saying that we must provide our customers with stellar products and services. But… there’s more to it than that. For instance, apparently, most people who buy software online never actually use it. In fact, some don’t even open it a second time!
Sure, you made the sale, so what do you care whether the customer ever actually uses it? You’ve got to care! For one thing, you probably put your heart and soul into creating that product or service. You truly desire to help people and give them a better life. You’re convinced that if they buy your stuff and use it properly, their lives will be improved.
But if most buyers never use it, they won’t experience anything — much less have something that could be truly change. Quite simply, their lives will not be improved and they’ll be out what they paid . If we care at all about people (and I’m sure you do), this should bother us!
When we talk about customer success rate, we’re referring to the extent to which our customers experience the benefits of a product or service we offer.
It’s not just about the sale!
…
Especially if you’re just starting to build your business, it’s easy to become focused solely on getting the sale. After all, without sales you’ll not remain a viable business.
Quite simply, has to be inherent in your business. And even if you’ve been operating for a while, it’s not too late to put some fundamentals into practice.
Our customers’ rate of success is vital to us for the following reasons:
- Because we care about our customers and want to help them improve their lives.
- Their success is the best marketing for our products and services we could hope for.
- When we give customers what they want and they benefit from it, they come back and bring others with them.
Think about it: it’s easy to finish a meal out and think of something that wasn’t perfect, or return an item an Amazon. However, when you’re in business with other businesses, the transaction is more difficult to unwind (if it can be done so at all) — especially if you’re an inventor who’s signed a contract with a prototyper, a manufacturer, distributor, or retailer.
So, how do we boost our customers’ success?
3 Ways to Boost Your Customer Success
1. Make it easy for them to succeed. My wife and I recently bought a kitchen torch for
crystalizing the sugar when making creme brulee. The torch seems to be well-made. I think we
received good value for the price. But the instructions were terrible! It was obvious that a non-
English-speaking person wrote the instructions. We eventually figured out how to fill, light and
use the torch, but the instructions were worthless. The manufacturer did not make it easy for us to succeed.
To help our customers succeed, we must provide: a clear and simple plan to follow; with small,
bite-size pieces; and built-in wins along the way. Don’t complicate what you make simple. Make
it easy for your customers to succeed.
2. Provide coaching and other tools and resources. Coaching can come in the form
of a book, YouTube channel or some other format in which you share your own personal stories and those of others. Depending on the value and impact of your product or service, you could also offer limited personal coaching. You can do this on a group call or even one-on-one. This service could even be an “upsell.”
Recommend and make other tools and resources available for free on your website or through
other means. Include them as a “bonus” when they purchase your program. Demonstrate to your clients that you want to help them succeed.
3. Build a community of followers. Such a community offers built-in accountability. Clients
share their wins, and their courage and success are contagious. They also may share their
struggles and the community rallies around them to encourage them on to success.
Most of the work for building a community seems to be on the front-end. Once it starts going and builds momentum, you’ll find that your customers will help each other succeed in ways beyond your ability. People enjoy helping others.
I hope that we help you succeed by breaking your customer progress into digestible steps, by providing relevant videos on my YouTube Channel (“Thrasher Associates”), and that you find value in either our Facebook Group for Inventors (The Invention Factory) or through another group. I also hope that when you see ways we can improve, you’ll let me know.
In conclusion, boost your customers’ success by following those three fundamentals. Ensuring that your clients succeed is not only in their best interest, but in yours as well. They experience a better life. They become your “raving fans.” They come back for more and bring others with them.