Active Listening Can Grow Your Client Base

In our last blog, we began to take a look at an article by Bianca Male on BusinessInsider.com. In it, she writes of the various ways in which business owners can actively listen to their customers. This is an important step in building your company over time. At Canadian POS Corporation, we do the best we can to listen to our clients in order to serve them in ways that make them the most happy. Let’s look at some more ways you can do just that.

Focus Groups. Can you gather together your best customers to talk about your business and the products that you sell? This is an excellent way to get direct feedback from the people who matter the most to your business. Focus groups don’t necessarily have to be done in-person, Male reminds us. The power of the internet can come in quite handy for this purpose.

Use some online tools to set up questionnaires in an effort to get as much feedback as you can. Often, focus groups held online allow customers the freedom and confidence to be as honest as possible with their responses. Invite your favourite customers to visit a special section of your website or to agree to receive emails that ask specific questions about your brand. You may be surprised at what you’ll learn.

Observation. Paying attention is a very important part of listening. By simply observing what your customers buy and what they don’t buy, you will get a better understanding of the buying habits of your target market. You’ll also want to pay attention to the ways in which they shop. Notice what credit and debit cards they prefer to pay with. Take note of how often they come into your store.

The better you pay attention, the better you’ll be able to service their needs for the long haul. It’s especially important to do this during the holiday rush, considering you’ll have so many customers to observe. You won’t be able to carefully observe them all, of course. But remember that doing your due diligence should help you to secure new customers well into the new year.

Point of sale. “Your point-of-sale employees interact with your customers during every purchase,” writes Male, “they\’re an indispensable opportunity for getting information from your customers.” So be sure to gather feedback from your employees who work the registers. Train them to gather as much information as they can with each interaction that they have.

It’s as simple as engaging your customers in conversations at the checkout. Ask if they’ve enjoyed their experiences shopping with you. Ask them if there is anything you can do to improve their next visits. Ask if they’ve located all that they’ve come into your store for. There is much to be learned at the point-of-sale. Make use of this information to your advantage.

In our next blog, we will conclude our week-long look at Male’s suggestions on how to better listen to your customers. It should go without saying that with the holiday season fully upon us, your listening skills will be more important now than ever before. Take advantage of the increase in customers you’ll be getting in your store. And, as always, for an upgrade of your POS terminals, call Canadian POS Corporation at 1-877-748-2884.