You have a small business that offers a product or service with an established client base. You can’t compete with the big names, but you offer great services and delight your clients.
Why is it so important for you to keep building your small business trust base and show that you are dependable? More importantly, how do you make it happen?
You have a small business that offers a product or service with an established client base. You can’t compete with the big names, but you offer great services and delight your clients.
Why is it so important for you to keep building your small business trust base and show that you are dependable? More importantly, how do you make it happen?
Email communications
The way you communicate with your clients is critical. You might not think of your emails as an indispensable part of your business, but how often is email the first point of contact with a new client?
It is so easy to either pleasantly surprise your clients or alarm them. Going the extra mile and forming long-lasting relationships is easy when you have the right tools. You would be surprised at how often people decide between competitors based on the tiniest details.
Use a custom email domain
E.g., is your email bobspaint@yahoo.com or bob@bobspaint.com? One looks like a cheap operation. The other, like you’re serious about your brand, and therefore, trusted by clients. A public domain name just doesn’t inspire trust.
Automatically check for typos
Even the best of us have bad days. You might double-type a word or misspell something on accident, coming off as inadequate or thoughtless. Not the first impression you want to make. Use great tools that automatically check for typos and suggest more suitable words, such as Microsoft Editor (built into Microsoft365) or Grammarly.
Look like a million bucks from your very first email. Need help getting set up? Let us know here!
Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA)
When logging into your email, are you prompted to insert a code sent to your phone/authentication app? Whereas your clients don’t even realize you might be doing that, it adds a security layer to your email access.
This way, the likelihood of someone brute-forcing their way into your email to start spamming people is brought to a minimum.
Equip spam filters
Spam filters have a two-fold advantage: they not only save you time to focus on improving and running your small business but also protect it by blocking phishing emails that might become dangerous.
The most common way to get infected with malware (and exposing your client’s information) is to click on a link that injects a virus into your computer, which can happen faster than you think. We recommend built-in Defender for Microsoft365.
Set up a signature & out-of-office automation
Having an auto-filled signature that includes your business logo, contact info, and name (why not a picture for extra credit!) creates trust and brand recognition.
Creating email automation and forwarding for when you’re out of the office is a testament to you thinking ahead and always remaining professional, as well as showing you want your clients to always be in the loop.
Encrypt emails
Encrypting emails simply means no one besides the emailing parties can view them or intercept in any way. To see if your emails are encrypted, all you need to do is use Google. Type in “Is *email provider* encrypted?”
If your emails are not encrypted, the incorporated info is in danger, and you don’t want to lose your client’s trust as it’s the most valuable commodity your business holds. When you lose their trust, you lose their business for good.
Set up shared mailboxes
Shared mailboxes are used for emails that need to be sent to a group of people (e.g., a department), used for general inquiries, or require a quick response. Examples include order@ emails or general info@ emails.
Having a general email also enhances your business’ stature. Combined with a good spam filter, a general inquiry email is a crucial addition to every small business that not only makes communication easier to clients, but also your employees.
Turn incoming phone calls into opportunities
Direct calls to the right person
If you are using a VoIP (Voice over IP) service, you can ask the caller a few simple questions, like if they are looking for assistance with paint or wallpaper at Bob’s Paint Shop, then forward the call to the person in charge – make it faster and more efficient.
It doesn’t need to be impossible to get to talk to a person (looking at you, USPS) — on the contrary, it can make the encounter more convenient for you and the client.
Set yourself apart from the first seconds
Instead of boring wait music, use some fascinating facts to keep your client engaged or answer your Frequently Asked Questions. Most small businesses have ‘peak’ times when more-than-usual clients call simultaneously, resulting in some wait time.
For example, Cat Hospital of Chicago uses this method to its advantage and plays a short clip explaining why cats’ regular preventive check-ups are essential. It’s less boring to wait, and you can win more business!
Manage voicemails professionally
Enabling voicemails helps you reach out to clients and offers convenience for them. If you close at 6 PM but have a potential new client who had a question at 7 PM, you can still get their business by calling them back the next business day.
Just set up your friendly, approachable messages to greet clients after hours, and you’re set.
Try not to settle for the ‘We are closed, please leave a message’ route and instead show your business personality a bit!
Speed up your communication
Modern VoIP systems have wonderful built-in features, such as:
Transcribing the voicemail in your email so you don’t need to listen to the whole voicemail a few times and can instead get a quick overview on your email
- Simple statistics, which help measure your peak hours and days and ensure an employee is always available
- Smartphone apps that let you stay in touch with colleagues or clients even on the go
- Call recording to get new employees equipped with correct phone etiquette no time
It takes just a few seconds to create a first impression – whether in person or remotely.
Take a few extra steps to show your client that you are trustworthy and deserving of their business with some tools that protect your clients’ information, make you stand out from the competitors, and show that you are serious.
