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This is the marketing playbook that will help keep your business at the top of every customer's mind - and wallet - and help you increase Profits, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Retention, Customer Loyalty and Word-of-Mouth Advocacy, both online and offline.

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Five ways employees can grow customer relationships

When many common denominators exist, what differentiates and brings customers back in today's highly competitive business market? Simply put, it has to be the quality of the offerings available and the people who provide them.

The level of employee engagement has a direct impact on whether customers return to the same vendor, or try a competitor. With good and bad reviews of products just one click away on the internet, stories of excellent customer service can spread very quickly. Disastrous customer service experiences can become viral in minutes.

According to the Workplace Research Foundation, increasing employee engagement programmes by 10% can increase profits by US$2400 per employee per year. Also, increased employee engagement can equal a 12% increase in customer satisfaction, which then raises revenue and margins. Research has also found a huge difference in workplace culture when employees are engaged vs. disengaged.

Engaged employees can impact everything from operating income, to employee satisfaction and promoting their company within their social circles, to the number of sick days employees take every year. For example, in companies that work to create brand ambassadors, employees take an average of 2.69 sick days a year while disengaged employees take 6.19 days a year.

So how can companies create a culture of happy, engaged employees who become brand ambassadors? There are five key ways:

1. Happy, energetic people, who genuinely seem to enjoy their work are infectious
   Does your team give off that positive vibe to your customers? How do you to foster that environment for them? There must be a company culture approach for a happy work place, with the goal of keeping customers coming back.
2. Get to know your clients
   Although employees may interact with many new clients each day, it is possible to create a bond with them. It builds a relationship with them. Even the "if you like that product, you might like this one" approach many online retailers use shows an interest in the client's satisfaction.
3. Professionalism, respect and courtesy amplify your brand
   Each staff member should be professional and courteous whether "in uniform" or not. Employees should be good company ambassadors at all times.
4. Appreciate your clients and ask for their future business
   Upon conclusion of a transaction, employee should thank the customers for their business. These gestures create positive experiences, which encourages repeat business.
5. Clients are appreciated by all employees
   The corporate culture should be consistent from top down through the ranks. Examples set by the senior execs should be modelled throughout the company. It can improve your bottom line, Small gestures can go a long way to make customers feel welcome and appreciated.

Especially in any commoditized industry, remember that differentiators matter - the quality of the product and the people that provide it. Take some small steps today that will engage your customers and keep them coming back.

Have you seen Easy Ways To Make Marketing Pay?

This is the marketing playbook that will help keep your business at the top of every customer's mind - and wallet - and help you increase Profits, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Retention, Customer Loyalty and Word-of-Mouth Advocacy, both online and offline.

This 120+ page report distils a whole spectrum of marketing best practices, do's and don'ts, practical how-to's, research and wisdom from respected global marketing veterans, explaining both emerging and established marketing techniques, technologies, strategies and practices, and providing you with the data you need to support the best decisions for your new, more profitable, more engaging marketing strategy.

In this comprehensive report you'll find all the information and support you need to build and improve a profitable, effective Marketing Strategy that covers all aspects of your business and customer base.

It also highlights all the hard facts, practical know-how and trends drawn by our experts from the global Marketing Factbook's vast database of market data, studies, research and white papers, and presents you with an invaluable library of ideas and practical support you can call upon at will.

This is no average 'state of play' report; it's the only 'Fact Book' that helps you implement and manage meaningful and profitable change, and help you grow your bottom line despite a slowing economy.

You'll gain a true goldmine of easily adaptable and up-to-date strategies, walk-throughs, trends, research and market data, plus all the supporting arguments you need to build a solid, profit-generating marketing strategy.

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