The benefits of relationship marketing
As competition intensifies, companies do not hesitate to innovate in terms of communication and customer relations, to attract the attention of new customers, but also to retain their existing customers.
Relationship marketing is characterized by all the marketing actions and exchanges implemented by a company towards a customer, or even a prospect. It is an effective way to establish a special relationship between the company and the customer. Today’s customers expect a certain experience when making a purchase or a sale. This requires permanent contact with the customer, whether through digital or physical means. It is no longer just a question of selling; it is also a question of making the relationship last: the customer relationship takes precedence over the sale. We have moved from a transactional sale to a relational sale.
Relationship marketing: a strategic and decisive element?
Improving the relationship with your customers and offering them new solutions, such as after-sales services, is a real way to increase your added value. This notion of value is essential to create exactly the experience that the customer is looking for.
From this experience comes the confidence that the customer will have at the end of a sale. The more the relationship is at the heart of the sale, the more the customer will feel the attachment to the brand. The most convincing example is that of Nespresso, which was voted “Customer Service of the Year 2017”. Consumers perceive buying Nespresso products as a way to join a club and thus receive a personalized, or even tailor-made, service, which they particularly appreciate. This global philosophy concerns all departments in your company, so it is necessary to raise awareness among all employees.
Relationship marketing is therefore a success factor that ensures long-term customer confidence. In order to define a suitable marketing strategy, market research conducted on different customer segments can help you find the levers that will help you achieve your quantitative and qualitative objectives. Your communication plan must also be adapted to your target audience and sector of activity.
How do you implement a relationship marketing policy?
The customer lives a purchasing experience from which he will get a certain feeling. Their experience, in store or on the web, must therefore be globally satisfactory.
The reward and discount system are inherent to relationship marketing. For your digital strategy, the use of social networks is an effective way to reinforce this experience or to make potential customers want to buy, in particular by creating a direct link via communities.
The use of storytelling is a popular practice. The use of storytelling is a popular practice. It is about telling a story so that the customer can fully project himself in the use of a product/service while having a glimpse of how your company operates. It is the tool adopted by Coca-Cola, among others, which has created from scratch a universe that is supposed to bring happiness to consumers.
Relationship marketing therefore appears to be essential to have a privileged contact with the customer, but also to foster a long-term relationship.
