Are you concerned that customers aren’t going to take you seriously because you’re not a massive corporation? Do you think you need to take steps to make your business look larger and more professional? While these are common concerns among small business owners, in reality they’re not things you need to worry about. In fact, you should embrace being a small business because of the advantages it gives you:’
People are Tired of Being Ignored
Although it should be at the top of their list of priorities, the majority of corporations view customer service as an afterthought. Instead of putting their top resources into it, many just outsource it so they can keep its cost as low as possible.
Because this approach to customer service has become the rule instead of the exception, people are sick of trying to get help from companies and being stuck navigating through a never-ending automated menu or trying to speak with someone who doesn’t even have a strong grasp of the English language.
Most people would think that selling shoes over the Internet sounds like a pretty run of the mill business. However, Zappos is one of the most exciting companies to come along in the last two decades. What’s made Zappos such a standout? They’re absolutely ecstatic about customer service. Zappos customers know they don’t have to worry about anything. If a shoe doesn’t fit, they can just send it back.
Not only is there no hassle, but Zappos makes a point of trying to get shoes to their customers as quickly as possible. There are countless stories about people ordering shoes in the evening and waking up the next morning to find they’ve already been delivered.
While that type of customer service should be the standard, it’s obviously not. As a small business owner, you have the ability to directly connect with your customers. Whether it’s just you or you have a small staff, create a culture of making customer service a top priority. Even something as small as a customer sending you an email and then receiving a personalized response from you 5 minutes later that actually solves their problem can make a big impression.
You Have a Story and Personality
Corporations spend tons of money each year on marketing that is intended to make them more relatable. While some companies do pretty well with this approach and others fail miserably, you don’t need a team of people to cook up a story or personality for your business. Instead, you already possess it.
All you need to do is share is share your story and personality with others so it can spread to potential customers. And thanks to the rise of social media and other online tools, doing so is easier than ever.
It’s Easy for You to Adapt
Because of their size, large companies have countless policies and procedures in place. As a result, if they want to make a change, there’s a big gap between deciding to change and actually putting that change into action.
As a small business, you don’t have this delay. If an opportunity arises, you can capitalize on it immediately?
How have you used “being small” to benefit your business?