As you may have known, getting clients/customers for your online business and keeping them for a long time is one of the hardest things to do in business. In marketing, every customer has what is called “Customer Lifetime Value” (CLT) or lifetime value (LTV). This is a prediction of the net profit attributed to the entire future relationship with a customer. It is the dollar value of a customer relationship based on the present value of the projected future cash flows from the customer relationship. If you want to keep getting value from your clients on the long-term, then you’ll need to know how to maintain customer relationship. One important aspect of maintaining customer relationship is learning to communicate effectively with your customers.
To communicate effectively means you speak to your customers in a specific way that they can easily understand. However, people are unique and you’ll need to understand your customers individually and collectively. Most businesses have a diverse client base, but it helps to tailor a marketing communication to each of your customer segment (location, gender, profession or age etc). One method to use is what is referred to as “FINE” by marketing experts.
Using “FINE” to Communicate Effectively with Your Customers
F = Feedback
Make sure your clients have a way to respond to your communication. Give them means to provide real-time or delayed feedback for all your marketing communications with them. This helps you improve your communication over time and ensure you provide the kind of information that your clients want and need. You can do this by conducting surveys which help you get feedback.
I = Inspiration
Communicate in a tone that appeals to your clients. You need to be a source of inspiration to them. Inspire them to act. Inspire them to do what they might not necessarily do on their own. Doing this with the words you communicate with them helps you keep them coming back for more business.
N = Neutral
Avoid controversial topics or hurtful contents as much as possible. There is nothing that pisses off people than controversial topics. If you are unsure of the potential effect of a particular word or topic, shun it altogether. Don’t get involved in it. You may get traffic with controversial topics but you may lose trust from your clients.
E = Excitement
Energise your clients with exciting news, such as promotional campaigns, coupons or positive stories. Clients like to hear good news from a business, not just countless emails enticing them to buy. Which means you don’t need to sell every time. Know when to sell and when not to.
Using the “FINE” system is simple but it needs to be done consistently. Getting feedback, inspiring your clients, avoiding controversial topics and energising or engaging your clients will help you communicate effectively which in turn improves your business profits.
