Imagine that things are slowly getting back to normal. Shops, restaurants and pubs have re-opened and major sporting events have started again, but it looks likely we’ll have to follow some form of social distancing for the foreseeable future.
As we emerge into this new world, did you spend some time thinking of ways you could improve the way you communicate with your customers? Have you made sure that you’ve integrated all the different types of technology we’ve now got at our disposal, such as Microsoft Teams, WebEx, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, into your future contact strategy?
Did you use the opportunity to create a website, or if you already have one did you make sure that it explains in detail all the different services you and your business can help your customers with? As an example, think of a customer who needs a mortgage, but is struggling to get one with a high street lender because they have a CCJ. You know you can help them, but unless your website clearly tells the customer this, how will they know?
Effective communication is essential if you want to create a lifelong service offering that will enable you to provide financial services to every generation of a family, not just to your primary customers but also to their children who may need a first-time buyer mortgage, as well as their parents who may need an equity release product. By earning their trust, following a clear contact strategy and using different means of communication, you’ll have the edge and your expertise and knowledge of financial products will make you stand out from the rest of the crowd.
Going forward, I want you to consider how you maintain the relationship with your customers at a level that no-one else can match. For example, you could send them a handwritten card on their birthday. Follow this up a week later, inviting them for a face-to-face review, and the likelihood of them accepting will be increased because of the personal touch of the birthday card.
You could do something similar if you’ve arranged the mortgage which has enabled a customer to buy a new house. A moving-in card with your branding and logo on the front would remind them that you were the one who helped them get their dream home. You could even ask them to share their experience by taking a picture of them holding the card outside their new home and sharing it on social media.
I also want you to think about your level of industry knowledge and identify areas where you think you need to upskill. Earlier this year I ran a series of workshops around the UK, many of them as online webinars, where I went into great detail about self-employed customers, talked about how to read accounts and credit files, and discussed the ways residential customers may need help in the future.
If these virtual workshops are something you think you could benefit from, or if you’ve got a question about anything else I’ve talked about, please get in touch with a member of our Sales Team to arrange an online face-to-face meeting. There are so many opportunities out there and we’d love to talk with you about ways you can boost your profile and improve the way you communicate with your customers. Click here to find who your nearest Business Development Manager is. Don’t hesitate to get in contact with us if you need any support – it’s what we’re here for.
