5 Simple Ways to Wow Your Customer

With so many amazing products in the marketplace, it is easy to forget people make the difference in a customer relationship.  Among the meetings, emails and commutes, don't let work get in the way of relationships and forget to appreciate your customers.  Here are 5 simple ways you can go the extra mile for your customer.

1.  Learn their business - Learn more than what you need to make the next sale.  Learn about what drives your customer's business and what is important to him or her. Understand your customer's competitors and how you can help them set themselves apart, using your products and services. Help put your business into context with their business, and the rest will come naturally.
2.  Speak their language - Do your customers call forks Dinglehoppers, or pipes Snarfblatts? Then you should, too! Show them you care about them by enculturating yourself into their organization on more than a surface level. Conversing with them in a way they can relate to, shows commitment and partnership, and further cements why you are a great partner in business.
3.  Do the Right Thing - I am not talking about a Spike Lee Joint here, either. Sometimes, going the extra mile for your customer means doing the best thing for them, rather than making a sale. When a customer doesn’t know what they don't know, it can be tempting to sell them more than they need. Explaining to them available options and educating them on why you made a recommendation is powerful. In other words, don't sell them a dump truck, when a wagon will do.  This helps create trust and confidence, and the customer will know  "you have her back."
4.  K.I.S.S - Don't worry, we are not about to have a HR moment. You may be familiar with the old adage of "keep it simple, stupid," but I prefer the "keep it stupid simple" variation. By taking complex concepts and simplifying them, you empower your customers to make decisions more quickly and represent those same concepts internally. Not only have we demonstrated our understanding of the concepts, we have put them in a position to look like heroes within their business. Einstein was credited with saying, "if you cannot explain it simply, you do not understand it well enough." That still rings true today, so show your customer how well you understand your product or services, by making them easily digested.
5.  Say it with Pictures - Sometimes pictures explain concepts better than bullet points or monologues. Utilize graphics or a whiteboard to convey a point or complex concept. One of the consultants on my team, and another colleague, created graphic workflows to demonstrate a customer's marketing journey. Not only was it visually entertaining, the customer raved about the success. The customer was able to take the graphics and show their leadership what their own customer's experience would look like.  Way to illustrate the future and wow your customer!

 What other tips and tricks do you have to go the extra mile for wow your customer?  Share it in the comments!