Tip 30: Be accessible

Your customers may have questions. They may want to connect with you, or they may want to get your product at 3am in in the morning from anywhere in the world. In a day where people very much “want it now,” when you are able to give your customers some type of access to you and or your business whenever they want it, that’s a good thing.

So maybe for you being accessible means having lots of information on your website for your customers to devour. Perhaps its providing the ability to purchase your products online. You might even make it so you or someone from your team is able to communicate with your customers live at certain times. No matter how you choose to be accessible, its all helpful in allowing your customers ways to get the good stuff you have to offer.

Examples

  1. A study conducted by Simply Measured showed that 99% of top brands have a presence on Twitter. And 30% of brands have a Twitter handle specifically devoted to customer service. Being accessible on social media sites like Twitter, has greatly increased how accessible companies are able to be to their customers when they have an issue.
  2. Back in business school, there would be times when me and some of the other students would need to speak with a professor outside of class to get further guidance and clarification on assignments. It was always super helpful when professors would hold “office hours” at specified times for us to have get the additional time we needed directly with the professor. The professors who were the most diligent in setting aside time to be available for us were the ones we all loved the most.

Suggestions

  1. Give your customers 24/7 access to you with your online presence. When you build up useful content, and information on your website that allows your customers to get information they need, or get the products they want, its a win for all involved. Your customers get what they want and need, and you don’t have to personally be available all the time for them to do so.
  2. Think about the types of things your customers come to you for. Then consider what is the most impactful way to be accessible to them in a manner that is scaleable for your business. So if its information they want, maybe its providing access to that information online. If its assistance with a specific problem they are having, that could mean setting aside time for your customers to interact with your team directly.

Application for your business

  1. Write down the top three things your customers are looking for when it comes to interacting with your business. Is it information, service, or guidance?
  2. Choose one thing from your list to work on to make what you have to offer even more accessible to your customers. Map out a simple plan for how your customers will be able to access what your good stuff.

Previous tips

1-22. Build a relationship with your customers (series)

23. Solve your customers’ problem

24. Know your stuff

25. Add value

26. Do what you say you’re going to do

27. Exceed your customers’ expectations

28. Be a purple cow

29. Be consistent