We Americans take
pride in our right to free speech and exercise that right without
hesitation. We praise people and causes
we believe in and support. We bad mouth
companies that wrong us. We share
information that probably shouldn’t be shared.
We do these things, without a doubt, because we can.
How freely do your
clients, customers, members, or donors speak with you? Do you make it easy for them to communicate
with you, regardless of if the subject is good, bad, or ugly?
Encouraging
communication from your market doesn’t take a legally-binding national document. It just takes effort. Here are three ways to encourage your
customers to speak freely:
1.
Initiate a conversation. Whether you send an email, mail a direct mail
package, or make a call, ask a specific question (did your last purchase meet
your needs, would you recommend our service, which areas of our service need
improvement, etc.) to prompt a response.
Some customers, particularly angry ones, will contact you on their
own. Others need a little nudge.
2.
Offer incentives to those who provide
feedback. If you’re looking to improve
customer service and customer relations at the same time, provide an answer to
the question, “what’s in it for me?” Hold
a contest and offer prizes or do monthly raffle drawings for anyone who
contributes to your virtual or physical suggestion box. Whatever you do, offer a reward for
responding.
3.
Reply promptly--and publically, if appropriate--to
all letters, calls, emails, etc., good or bad.
Being a good communicator yourself will let your customers know their
voices are being heard and will encourage them, and others, to speak up often.
Freedom of speech is
not just a right: it’s also a gift. For
that we say, “Thanks.”
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