November 30 marks the 15th annual Small Business Saturday, an annual shopping celebration founded by American Express in 2010 and officially supported by SBA since 2011. Consumers spent approx 17 billion dollars last year and it's not too late for your small business to do big things this weekend. We connected with Jennifer Van BuskirkEVP & GM Mid-Markets at AT&T Business, to get her insights on customer service strategies that will help you make the most of this massive opportunity. Here are her top five tactics:
Related: How a wine shop makes the most of Small Business Saturday: 'Every year our income goes up'
1. People shop at small businesses for uniqueness – give them specific and differentiated offers.
It takes such courage to start a small business, and there is a great opportunity to embrace that courage and take a unique approach to your offerings. It's a compelling value proposition to be able to tell a customer they can't find your product or service anywhere else in the area, and it's also a way to find higher-margin opportunities. My family tries not to vacation in the same place twice – there is something very powerful about realizing that you are entering a completely new and different experience. Even if a customer hasn't decided to look for it, uniqueness is a powerful draw for consumers of all types.
2. Remember that person-to-person interaction is your marketing!
Smart allowances are everything as you grow. Whether it's on the phone, face-to-face, or even in digital chat (which is growing in adoption for small businesses as well), having a meaningful connection with the customer that goes beyond the transaction increases attention and retention. Dialogue improves the core economics of your business. When dealing with a client, be 100% present and focus on fostering authentic and lasting relationships.
3. Learn from your customer's pain points.
Create a culture that rewards uncovering customer pain points – celebrate the messenger. Whenever you see confusion or moments of hesitation, there is a growth opportunity for your company. Use insights from sales, customer service, support teams and social media managers who interact with customers every day. Ask them for patterns they notice. Ask customers if there's anything they wish you could offer them but don't, or if there's any way you can make their lives easier. Of course, keep a close eye on your social media and digital footprint, but do the same for your competitors. This is a powerful way to identify patterns that may be relevant to your business, now or down the road. Be married to your vision, but not to the path to get there – focusing on your customer is the best path to success.
Related: Small Business Saturday: How to prepare for online sales before the holiday shopping season
4. The key to making growth sustainable is to focus on customer loyalty.
A key lesson I've learned is that businesses tend to focus on new customers, but the way to keep your business special is to make sure no one is treated better than existing customers. The first step in customer loyalty is providing a consistent customer experience. Think about every step of their journey. Every customer's experience doesn't have to be exactly the same, but every step should be filtered through the same criteria. One thing that very small and very scaled businesses are often best at is getting very detailed about who their customers are. Social proof—customer testimonials and reviews—is extremely important. Look for ways to surprise and delight your most loyal customers to build goodwill and encourage loyalty. For the holidays, does that mean keeping a few units just in case a valued customer comes in at the last minute?
5. Stay focused on what you do best.
You can't be all things to all people and do it well. The path to sustainable growth begins with knowing how you will differentiate your business in the marketplace and staying true to that core mission. Complexity is inevitable, and it's easy for businesses to get distracted trying to meet the needs and wants of each customer—often to the detriment of their core customer base. Simplicity requires hard work, discipline and the ability to make smart compromises. But these exchanges pay off in the end with a strong market position, engaged customer base and growing business.
Related: Where to shop to support small business on Saturday