How to Find Out What Your Customers Really Want?

Happy customers are without a doubt equal to prosperous businesses. All successful companies understand that customers are not only those who receive the product, but also constitute the source of the stimulus needed for continued operation.

Latest stats suggest that around 90 per cent of the total operational businesses might actually be clueless about the needs and expectations of their customers. This may not sound as significant, but keeping yourself abreast with the desires and aspirations of your clientele is few of the only ways to run and maintain organisations.

Many marketers and businessmen are too busy working out new and more ways to double profits that they often forget to get answers for the question that gives companies the boost they need; what do their customers really want?

Relying on the number of sales and increment in the number of clients can transmute into an entrepreneurial pitfall. It is, therefore, important that businessmen and marketers depend not solely on the superficial indices for assessing the wishes of their consumers. Many experts believe that setting up a business and securing a place in the market do not suffice as pre-requisites for success if the organisation fails to magnify the actual and personal needs of their clients.

Knowing the deepest desires of your customers is not as hard and tedious as it might sound. Here are a few tips and ways of getting to know your clientele more closely, which will help you in honing your products and/or services according to what your market demands:

- Collect data at the time of subscription
One of the most effective methods of getting to know about your customers' demands up-close is to make them fill in a short form or to ask them to answer a few questions about themselves at the time when they first sign up for your service. For example, asking your clients about their occupation can help you tailor your future emails and promotions in accordance with their professional requirements.

Make the whole process interesting by questioning about the minor details of their lives, like their favourite magazine or their favourite TV show. Use the data for improving the quality of your future correspondence with your clients.

- Make use of your phone
No, it is not at all easy to call every customer on your list and talk about the weather or the latest news. However, experts suggest that calling a few customers, every now and then can help in building healthy relationship between you and your customers. The phone calls need not be elaborate and entirely personal. Jot down a list of relevant questions that you need to ask to elicit a feedback to your product and/or services and also ask for your customers' opinions to streamline your operation with their needs. Make sure that the phone call is not prolonged to the point where it becomes annoying. Keep the conversation light and brief. Remember to thank your clients at the end of the conversation!

- Survey regularly
The quickest and easiest method of knowing what your customers need is to send them survey questionnaires about your product and/or service. Results obtained from these surveys will paint a vivid picture of what your customers think your business need to operate in a better fashion and also help you in improving the quality of your product and/or service.

The key to maximising the response to your surveys is to avoid them from being monotonous and insipid; add light questions and end the survey with a sweet gratitude note to make your customers feel valued for their time and effort involved in completing the survey.

- Keep track of the reviews
Customers tend to express their appreciation and criticism for products and/or services very blatantly via the reviews they leave either on the company's website, specific review websites, Facebook pages and even their own blogs. As a marketer and a businessman, it is extremely crucial for your progress in the market that you regularly go through the reviews dedicated to your organisation. Being open to criticism and the readiness to make amends enhances your reputation among your clients and also makes sure that you keep your services in-line with the requirements of your consumers.

- Stay updated on social media
Social media is one of the most popular platforms used by consumers to share their views about businesses and their services. Following your clients on social media can bridge the communication gap between them and your organisation. In case of a complaint and/or a suggestion that your consumers post on their social media accounts, you can respond in time and also stay informed about what your clientele expects from you by subscribing to their posts on social media.

The current trend of hash tags has made staying in touch with customers easier than ever. Generate hash tags regularly so that you can review all posts on various social networking sites about your business without a single hassle.

- Walk a mile in their shoes
As a business and a marketer, sometimes the best way to recognise and acknowledge the needs and wants of your customers is to simply keep yourself in their place. It is good to take a break from being the provider and realise what your own needs would be like if you were where your customers are now. By using this approach, you can bring changes in your mode of operation, quality and quantity to make your customers feel at utmost ease when they avail your services.

- Maintain a record
Just listening and reading about what your customers expect from you is certainly not enough. To make sure that you reap the benefits of staying in line with your customers wants, it is mandatory to keep a record of all the complaints, suggestions, opinions and even appreciation to remind yourself of the alterations that need to be introduced to enhance your performance in the market.