How Happy Clients Can Make You Money

Many businesses rely on their existing clients for repeat business. However, do you truly understand what your customers think about your business? Do you know why they chose to come to you in the first place? Or what, if anything they think makes you different from your competitors?

Research has shown that it costs 6-7 times more to acquire a new customer than retain an existing one (Bain & Company). By understanding your existing clients you can work towards building upon and improving their experience by ensuring you keep them happy. This in turn will improve the experience for new clients who will benefit from the improvements and recommendations implemented from the client research.

What is Client Research?

Client research provides a means for your clients to express any concerns they may have, how they feel about certain areas of your business and gain feedback on any proposed changes within your business. And if it’s independent, they will be more honest than if you conduct it yourself. Client research can include areas such as:

·         Their understanding of the services available

·         Levels of customer service

·         What your company is doing right

·         Are there any areas they feel your company could improve upon?

·         Their thoughts on a proposed new product range

Why Conduct Client Research?

As a business it’s easy to become complacent, thinking “our clients keep coming back to us so they must be happy”. But what happens if there’s something they think you could improve upon, or you make a change thinking it will improve things for your clients when in reality it makes things more difficult for them?

Whilst a happy customer is likely to return for repeat business and may give you the benefit of the doubt when they first encounter a negative experience, if this negative experience is repeated they may go elsewhere, without giving you the opportunity to correct this.

You may have some aggressive competitors or new entrants to your market that are marketing heavily to your clients. Client research can tell you whether those competitors are addressing issues that your clients have and that you are not currently taking into consideration.

By conducting client research and acting upon the feedback you will be able to demonstrate that you value your clients and their opinions, therefore creating a more open business relationship whereby they feel they can discuss issues with you. 

How can you conduct Client Research?

As with all research, it’s important to have a clear objective; an understanding of what you want to find out from the research and how you will act upon this information.

Once your objectives have been identified, there are a number of consideration:

·         Sample Size – The closer you get to the total market number, the more robust your sample will be (and thus, the validity of the results typically increases too). The general rule of thumb is 100 responses or a minimum of 10% of your total targeted market. So, if you have 300 clients, 30 is a minimum base to use, or if you have 20,000, you may opt for a smaller survey of around 100 clients.

·         Representative Sample - In order to gain a fair representation of your clients’ views it is important to ensure you speak to a variety of contacts within your database. A long-term client who has used your business for over 10 years is likely to have a different opinion to a client who has only recently started to use your business.

·         Question Design – The questions can be quantitative – box ticking answers – qualitative – asking their opinions with open ended questions that allow them to say whatever they like or it can be a combination of the two.

·         Interviews / Surveys – Consider whether telephone interviews or printed surveys are the best option. The use of telephone interviews will enable the interviewer to probe for additional information on answers where necessary but this can also be a more time-consuming exercise.

·         Timing – Your clients will have their own work to complete which will take priority over completing your client research. Allow your clients to choose a time that suits them best, and give them the opportunity to rearrange if necessary.

·         Set Expectations – Tell your clients approximately how long the survey will take to complete so they can plan their time accordingly.

·         Communication – To encourage your clients to participate, tell them why you are conducting the research, what you are hoping to learn and how you will act upon the results. Make it clear that you will be listening to their views and will feedback to them once the research has been completed.

·         Appreciation – Thank your clients for their opinions and make them feel appreciated.

·         External Input – Your clients may be more likely to give an open and honest opinion if the research is conducted by an external person. The results from the research can then be reported anonymously.

What do you do with the results?

This will depend partly on the actual feedback provided through the research process.

If feedback from your research is positive, it shows that you are doing a good job and making your clients happy. However, it is important that the business understands what it is that the client says you are doing well so that these factors are not overlooked in the future. It is also unlikely that your research will show that every single client is 100% happy with every element of your business and there is always room for improvement.

Client research may also identify areas for improvement such as:

·         A lack of consistency in the application of processes within your business

·         Personality clashes between clients and employees

·         A lack of client understanding of other products/services offered by your business

·         Clients not fully understanding how a process works

·         Clients feeling that they aren’t communicated with

Regardless of the outcome it is important to communicate the results of your research both internally, so your employees can act upon the feedback and externally, to demonstrate to your customers that you care.

If you would like to discuss how client research can help your business, give us a call today.  

Karen Munson is Strategic Officer at Enterprise Marketing Solutions and contactable on 01296 695635 or Karen.munson@enterprisemarekting.co.uk. 

Getting Inside Your Clients’ Head

We are all individuals with our own views, expectations and limitations. As a business have you stopped to consider things from the perspective of your clients, prospects and employees? How are they likely to react to your latest news, marketing campaign, product launch or any other activity?

On Friday, my 5-year old came running out of school with a massive grin; Max the Bear was coming to stay for the weekend. Max is the class bear and each weekend he goes to a child’s home to join in with their family activities which are then reported in Max’s diary through a combination of photos, drawings and writing.

Whilst discussing this with my son, we decided that as it’s Max’s diary, it should be written from Max’s perspective. After all, how a bear views the world could be very different to a 5-year old child. I wasn’t entirely sure how well this would work, however, after a couple of activities I can honestly say that Max started to express his own opinions about whether he wanted to join in. For example at a birthday party Max was scared that the other children would hurt him as he was smaller than them, so he sat on the side watching until he was happy to join in.

The same principal needs to be applied in your business.

“Getting inside your client’s head” helps you understand what makes them tick, how they view your business and how they are likely to respond to various events. When you create an avatar for your “ideal client”, all of your marketing activity can then be created with this person in mind. This is all about them, not about you!

Consider an IT company providing support to small businesses. Let’s say their ideal client is “Bob”, the owner of a small company who is involved in running all aspects of the company. Bob is always rushing around making sure the business is operating as efficiently as possible and has very little time to spend understanding how the IT works, he just needs to know that it works. As a small business owner, Bob often works outside normal office hours, so he is concerned about having IT issues and not having support available. He is therefore looking for a company to look after all his IT requirements and get his business back up and running if and when anything goes wrong with his IT.

Bob has been told about 2 local companies that offer IT Support for small businesses so looks at their websites to find out more. Which company do you think Bob would be more likely to approach regarding his needs?

Company A

The website looks professional and includes lots of technical information. The case studies and testimonials focus on larger companies and how the company has helped to support IT departments within organisations.

Company B 

Uses clear and easy-to-understand language and includes case studies and testimonials from companies of a similar size to “Bob’s”. The site looks clean, is easy to navigate and each page displays clear contact details including an out-of-hours number for 24-7 support.

It’s clear to me that Bob would choose to contact Company B. They have understood the main concerns for small business owners like Bob such as lack of time and the need for 24-7 support and demonstrated how they have helped similar businesses.

If you would like to discuss how Enterprise Marketing Solutions can help you “get inside your client’s head” to help your business grow, give us a call today.  

Karen Munson is Strategic Officer at Enterprise Marketing Solutions and contactable on 01296 695635 or Karen.munson@enterprisemarekting.co.uk. 

Emmy's Marketing Work Experience

I graduated from Birmingham University with a BA degree in Marketing and Management in June 2013. Since then I have found it difficult to secure a permanent job within marketing. The main reason for this was my lack of experience. My Dad's colleague recommended I contact Karen to see if I could come for a week's work placement in Aylesbury at Enterprise Marketing Solutions. My aim of the work placement was to gain some experience in an actual marketing company so that it would enhance my CV. I gained so much more than that within the 4 days I worked with Karen.

On the Monday I arrived I had no idea what to expect, Karen talked me through her business and explained what a busy week I had in store. I then read through some marketing plans she was currently implementing with her clients and I was so impressed with the detail and the creativity she had used.

That afternoon I met with Andrew, Karen's right hand man! They had a Skype meeting with a taxi firm to discuss how their marketing plan was going and in particular the website and social media for the company. I had not taken any modules to do with the internet at University, which after listening to Andrew's viewpoint made me regret my decision and it is definitely something I will look into and learn more about in the future.

On Tuesday I arrived at Aylesbury nice and early as we had a breakfast meeting in Oxford at the Business Wealth Club. Karen introduced me to many important business people from the area. We had two meetings and it was fascinating to see how Karen networked and I loved meeting people that were so enthusiastic about their businesses, the same as Karen was with hers.

That afternoon we went to another meeting at a local business called Sivatech, Karen was there to get feedback on the recent leaflets she had designed. It was good to be asked my opinion and it really made me think about all different aspects of marketing including the design element and also made me feel valued.

On Wednesday Karen and I travelled to Banbury to meet with a company named Kendra. They were in the early stages of their marketing plan that Karen had written for them. It was a long meeting but interesting as we covered every aspect of the business. With Karen's recommendations a timeline was set up to implement the plan.

That afternoon Karen gave me the chance to write my own case study about one of the marketing plans I had read earlier in the week. I quizzed her to get all the facts and wrote a 2 page case study.

On Thursday, I was given the task to research other companies in the area which could be of interest to Karen. I created a spreadsheet and found contact details for potential tele marketing activity. Market research is incredibly important to any business so it was good to put to use my knowledge from University.

That afternoon I accompanied Andrew back to Sivatech and observed a class he taught the employees about how to use word press and manage the website that he and Karen had made for the company. Once again it reminded me that online marketing is something that I would really like to get into and learn more about.

That was the end of my incredibly busy week. I felt that I had learnt so much in that small amount of time and I am really grateful to Karen and Andrew for all that they taught me.

Within my job search over the last 6 months I had been drifting away from applying for the marketing roles but after my work placement at Enterprise Marketing Solutions it had reminded me how much I enjoy marketing and it put me back on track to starting my marketing career.

Coincidentally I had a job interview the next day at Mercedes head office in Milton Keynes. I really believe that the knowledge and confidence that Karen had given me this week is the reason how Mercedes offered me a job that very same day.

Emmy

 

 

Where Did My Market and Customers Go?

Have you found that the Recession has changed a few things? You might have found it's had a rather profound impact on your marketplace and your customer base. So how can you identify where your industry is now and what your customers are likely to do next?

Macro reports are market research reports, which provide you with information about the wider environment within which you operate, relating to your industry. You are likely to find it brimming with useful information and intelligence on your category, the competition, your customer and developing trends, with very little upfront outlay.

Macro market reports are just one of the low cost tools at a business’ disposal for up to date market context and insight. They provide many useful details including:

·             Size of the market; so you understand the size of your potential sales opportunities;

·             Size of the industry; so you can decide on the % market share that you want to aim for

·             Trends in the sector; so you know which of your products and services are relevant to drop or promote

·             Details on key players; so you can determine how you want to position your business in the marketplace, know who your competitors are, clarify how your brand differentiates you, what you what to be seen to stand for, and who your target customers might be

·             And even identify new opportunities for innovation, which you can lead.

Furthermore, these reports provide solid, factual market figures which can provide a good rationale and background for wider business plans. For instance, the information provides good input into a SWOT analysis which in turn, provides a corner stone for future strategic planning. 

So for a low cost, high return investment, don't you think it's time to understand your market place a little better? 

Richard Wood, Insights & Intelligence Officer, Enterprise Marketing Solutions T: 01296 584834.

 

 

 

Building Consumer Relationships, the Innocent Way

Innocent smoothies is just one of the most referenced companies in the UK when it comes to marketing success stories.

For Innocent, it all started just over 15 years ago, when three Cambridge graduates, Adam Balon, Richard Reed and Jon Wright tested the water at a small music festival in London.

Armed with a large sign (which asked people if they 'thought they should give up their jobs to make smoothies'), and a 'Yes' bin and a 'No' bin in front of their stall, they asked their consumers to vote with their empties and the rest as they say, is history. The next day all three resigned and now, Innocent have expanded to provide veg pots, juices and kids' drinks across Europe, with the vision of helping 'people live well and die old'. The company turns over in excess of €200m across Europe and continues to go from strength to strength.

So how does a company as successful as Innocent remain true to its roots and keep its consumers happy? Put simply, by engaging with their consumers via all touch points, giving them a way to voice their opinion and keeping it 'fun', the company offers all critical components that ensures the brand remains both fresh and front of mind to the consumer.

Whilst not every company has the luxury of being able to communicate using consumer language on their product itself (Innocent bottles use simple things, such as 'enjoy by' rather than 'use by' and 'call us for a chat' to engage with the consumers in a friendly and approachable way), another approach used by Innocent is their eCRM system. With over 120k subscribers, their newsletter has a vast reach and is continuing to grow.

A CRM (or Customer Relationship Management system) allows a company to track and segment consumer types based on their interests and preferences. For your average business, it is a great way to ensure you can gather useful information on your customers, tailor messaging or offers to certain target markets and allow you to identify trends that you may not have been aware of at first glance.

And this is where we stumble into the arena of market research. Through formal or informal information gathering (stored in an up to date CRM system), you are essentially undertaking your own form of primary research and through interpreting this data (via segmentation, reviewing and identifying trends or similarities in consumers), you can tailor or even introduce new products or services to a new market.

So even if you do not sell fruit based beverages, your company can benefit from simple market research and who knows - you might just uncover the next 'smoothie'.

From Richard Wood, Insights & Intelligence Officer, Enterprise Marketing Solutions Ltd.

01296 584834 www.enterprisemarketing.co.uk

Out of this World Work Experience

After being in full time employment for near to 6 years in the retail management industry I decided I wanted to follow in a different career path. Taking advantage of my qualifications I achieved at the Grange School 6 form in 2008, 3 A-Levels in business studies, I decided I wanted to enter into the business sector of management and more specifically the fast passed world of advertising and marketing. In order to hope to achieve this I have taken up a part time (BA Hons) degree in business management and marketing which I begin late in September.

Since deciding to go traveling around Europe throughout August I realised I would have near to three weeks before my university enrolment when I returned. Realising this I decided to take this opportunity to look for and obtain possible work experience in marketing as I would be looked at as a novice entering a field I had zero experience in and put me ahead of the game when applying for internships or entrée level positions. This is where I came across Enterprise Marketing Solutions, after looking into their website and discovering not only were they a well-established marketing firm in my home town they were situated in walking distance from my home. I contacted Karen Moule via email along with my CV and cover letter and within 30 minutes I had a response from Andrew McIntyre, who then forwarded myself to Karen who then rang me personally to arrange a date I could come in and gain the experience I was looking for.

Once I returned from traveling I began my initial 1 week work placement with Karen and the team at Enterprise Marketing Solutions. Within the first initial meeting, where there was an introduction to the business, the employees and Karen herself, I could tell I was in an environment I could not only learn but feel comfortable and along with Karen’s long wealth of experience not only in marketing but also in advertising Karen was the perfect person to work alongside to get the experience I was looking for. By the end of the first two days I had created an e-newsletter, created and edited a few social media networks for clients including email communication to clients discussing the progress and changes, read and understand the final strategic plan for another client and started managing and editing a website using word press, along with some admin work so this was not a case of sit back and make tea for Karen and Andrew. Throughout these tasks though I was not at any stage ‘thrown into the deep end’ I was always given easy to follow instructions and guidance during every task I was given.

Nearing the end of my third day I had learnt so much with Karen and Enterprise Marketing I decided I would request to lengthen my initial time another week which Karen was happy to accept, so what started as an initial one week work placement had now turned into two which I was extremely happy about. My time at Enterprise was not however confined to the office and this was shown near the end of my first week when I was asked to join Andrew in an off-site meeting with a current client who was requesting a review on the status of his on-going social networking sites including his website and SEO responses while keeping notes. I also put myself forward to accompany Andrew at the beginning of my second week to oxford to represent Enterprise Marketing Solutions at the Business Wealth Club meeting, this was highly rewarding as this gave me an insight not only into the running of many entrepreneurial businesses small and large but also the key marketing points, known as the marketing wheel, these businesses focus on during their yearly quarter. I also assisted Karen and Andrew in shooting two adverts for clients who were looking to re-brand there image, giving my opinions and ideas of shooting angles when and if they were needed, this was great experience as it focused more on the advertising side of marketing.

Overall I only have to thank Karen and the team at Enterprise Marketing not only for the amount I have learnt over my two week work placement but for the welcoming and supportive environment they provide that allowed my learning to take place. My time with Enterprise Marketing Solutions was highly rewarding and if you are in the Aylesbury or local Buckinghamshire region and looking for some real hands on experience you can take with you, I would 110% recommend Karen and the team at Enterprise Marketing Solutions and in fact would love to come back in the near future and work for them again.

Luke De Benedictis