By: Leah Rodgers
Whether they’re your first prospect or your 500th, each person who decides that your edtech product or service might be the answer to their problem is a person first and a potential customer second. It’s easy to get distracted by the demands of current customers, but giving a confident, solution-focused welcome to new prospects will help you build a strong relationship and give you the best possible chance of turning those prospects into long-term customers. These four tactics will help you demonstrate your services and company culture—and truly connect with the people who reach out to you.
- Focus on solving problems, not selling products.
The more you know your desired buyer persona, the better. Getting familiar with their pain points will allow you to better communicate with them and eventually serve their needs. To connect with prospects, create content that answers the most pressing professional questions they’re asking themselves. (Don’t expect them to Google your product name, but do expect them to Google, for example, “Where can I find a free trial of 3rd grade math curriculum for mobile devices?”) Once your prospects turn into customers, be their go-to for answers. Offer blog posts or newsletters that share insight on the industry and your company’s part in it.
- Use automation to keep the communication flowing.
If a prospect shows interest in your company by filling out a form, what are they getting in return? Is a welcoming email waiting for them in their inbox to help them begin their journey with you? What about after that? Round up your team and decide what information will be sent out to new prospects, and when. After they’ve gotten on board with your service, continue the conversation by using automation marketing software like Hubspot to check in. An automation tool helps you develop and maintain customer relationships efficiently and systematically.
- Write content that has a voice.
Before putting fingers to the keyboard, think about your company as a character in a movie. What is its personality? Use that voice, and write to your customers the way you would talk to them—as if they are real people. Prospects can smell boilerplated passion. One way to make sure your voice is consistent is to establish brand guidelines. When developing or enforcing guidelines, keep your customer in mind. What voice do they want to hear? Maintain a stable persona your customers will look to for useful, valuable information.
- Respond to customers’ concerns.
Once prospects become customers, continue being a problem-solver. In practice, this means listening to them whenever you connect, then proposing a solution based on what you’ve heard. It also means never letting your customer service inbox fill up. Customers are more often sharing negative customer service experiences on social media than positive ones. (Need more information on monitoring your social media for these reviews? We have an eBook to help!) Do yourself and your customers a favor by creating thoughtful standard responses and kickstarting solutions to common pieces of feedback. The more you show your customers your passion for making their jobs easier, the more likely they are to refer you to others, keeping your funnel of prospects flowing.
In case you haven’t noticed, building trust with prospects and customers is all about communication. Whether it’s an email, a phone call, or a blog post, starting and maintaining customer relationships requires the give-and-take of a heartfelt and practical conversation.
Thanks for sharing!
