- \n
- Store and organize customer data to observe patterns and preferences<\/li>\n
- Segment your customer data for more effective outreach<\/li>\n
- Leverage online sales data<\/li>\n
- Get to know your customers in-person<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
The first step in the process is gathering essential information on each of your customers so that you can use it in future outreach efforts. This process is easiest when you\u2019re able to store and organize the customer data you already have in your CRM.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brightpearl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Fonteva_Brightpearl_4-Innovative-Tactics-to-Learn-More-About-Your-Customers_Header-1-min.jpg\")
<\/p>\n1. Store and organize customer data to observe patterns and preferences.<\/h2>\n
It\u2019s more than likely that you\u2019re already using a CRM to record information about your customers after they make their purchases. The number of times they\u2019ve supported you, the products they typically buy, and the channels through which they make their transactions are all important things to know about your customers as individuals.<\/p>\n
With comprehensive and organized data and reporting, your business will understand much more about your customers\u2019 needs and preferences.<\/strong><\/p>\n
Looking for the right data to use in developing your customer outreach strategy? The customer information in your existing database is the place to start. If you\u2019re using a leading CRM, you have the advantage of apps and features designed to make your business operations, including customer interactions and data management, much easier.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll definitely want to take advantage of:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Your cloud-based system. <\/strong>Cloud-based software solutions are a top choice for association management systems<\/a>, as well as those that businesses and other organizations use whenever they need to store and organize customer or member data. With essentially unlimited storage space, you\u2019ll always be able to add relevant information on new and returning customers. Updates are automatic, and your customers\u2019 information is stored securely on your CRM.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Reporting features. <\/strong>You\u2019ll be able to track not only the histories of interactions that your business has had with individual customers but also the broader habits and trends that your customers exhibit. This information can influence both your outreach efforts toward customers, as well as your business\u2019s future strategies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Additional features and resources. <\/strong>Explore your CRM\u2019s features and additional apps that can help you connect with your customers on social media and automate your communications with them. You\u2019ll learn more about them and they\u2019ll have an opportunity to connect with your business.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Cloud-based software solutions have transformed retail supply chain management<\/a>, due – in large part – to their ability to help businesses collect and analyze data with ease. Once you\u2019re able to store, view, and interpret the data in your CRM, your business can put it into action by segmenting your customers and creating targeted outreach strategies for each segment.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brightpearl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Fonteva_Brightpearl_4-Innovative-Tactics-to-Learn-More-About-Your-Customers_Header-2-min.jpg\")
<\/p>\n2. Segment your customer data for more effective outreach.<\/h2>\n
While your customers share an interest in the products your business provides and, depending upon whether you have physical locations, may share geographic areas, it\u2019s most likely that their similarities end there!<\/p>\n
The most effective customer outreach strategy is one that addresses your different customers\u2019 reasons for supporting your business.<\/strong><\/p>\n
Although your business can\u2019t, of course, take a different approach to each individual customer, you can create a personalized experience for them by segmenting your customer data and sending different communications to each segment of customers.<\/p>\n
Ready to get started with segmentation?<\/p>\n
Consider the following categories as starting points, and then modify or divide them further according to your business\u2019 unique needs:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Demonstrated loyalty. <\/strong>When you reach out to customers who are regular supporters of your business or have supported you for a long time, thank them for their loyalty. New customers will require a lengthier introduction as to who you are and why your products merit their attention.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Preferred buying channel. <\/strong>Reach out to your customers where they are. Online shoppers are likely connected to your business via email and social media, so those outreach strategies will work well for them. More traditional customers may prefer direct mail from businesses that are not online-only. If your customers express a communication preference directly, store that information in your CRM.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Location and other demographic factors. <\/strong>Businesses with multiple physical locations may wish to create multiple communications with customers from different regions in mind. Knowing the ages, family statuses, and approximate wealth of individual customers can also help you to segment your customer database and tailor your outreach.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
As your business uses customer data to personalize your outreach, your customers will support your business more frequently, allowing you to gather additional information and ensure that future outreach is only more successful than the last.<\/p>\n
Your business can take its cues from the data-centric approach that associations use to improve experiences for their members. Our guide to association management software<\/a> offers several tips on using your CRM so that your business can easily adapt to your customers and your outreach strategy.<\/p>\n
Communication is central to a positive customer experience<\/a>, and your customers want your business to acknowledge their individual habits, needs, and preferences when they provide you with recurring support. As their habits increasingly shift toward online shopping, ensure that you\u2019re gathering useful data from these sales to improve future communications.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brightpearl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Fonteva_Brightpearl_4-Innovative-Tactics-to-Learn-More-About-Your-Customers_Header-3-min.jpg\")
<\/p>\n3. Leverage online sales data.<\/h2>\n
It\u2019s difficult to challenge the notion that the Internet has made shopping for almost anything a lot more convenient. Online sales also make it easy for your business to collect valuable data on your customers, from the items they purchase to the times at which they do so.<\/p>\n
Ensure that your business is gathering online sales data and taking it into account in your customer outreach strategies.<\/strong><\/p>\n
When it comes to online sales, your ideal strategy is one that considers broader trends in customer behavior, as well as the more specific preferences of individuals and groups of customers.<\/p>\n
Important information that your business can gather from online shoppers include:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Their buying histories. <\/strong>Knowing what your customers buy from your webstore, how much they buy, and how often they buy and visit are all essential points of information as you work to maintain these customers\u2019 support. You can use categories such as these to segment your customer database.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Their paths to your online store. <\/strong>Customers who arrived via social media are likely to be more responsive to your business\u2019s future social media posts than those who arrived through other channels. Knowing how your customers got to your online store can help you reach them even more effectively upon their return visits.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Their other interactions with your business. <\/strong>Long-time supporters of your business who have recently switched to making some of their purchases online will probably respond better to different communications than supporters who found your business online and effectively equate your business with your online store.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Their paths to your online store. <\/strong>Customers who arrived via social media are likely to be more responsive to your business\u2019s future social media posts than those who arrived through other channels. Knowing how your customers got to your online store can help you reach them even more effectively upon their return visits.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Their buying histories. <\/strong>Knowing what your customers buy from your webstore, how much they buy, and how often they buy and visit are all essential points of information as you work to maintain these customers\u2019 support. You can use categories such as these to segment your customer database.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Location and other demographic factors. <\/strong>Businesses with multiple physical locations may wish to create multiple communications with customers from different regions in mind. Knowing the ages, family statuses, and approximate wealth of individual customers can also help you to segment your customer database and tailor your outreach.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Preferred buying channel. <\/strong>Reach out to your customers where they are. Online shoppers are likely connected to your business via email and social media, so those outreach strategies will work well for them. More traditional customers may prefer direct mail from businesses that are not online-only. If your customers express a communication preference directly, store that information in your CRM.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Demonstrated loyalty. <\/strong>When you reach out to customers who are regular supporters of your business or have supported you for a long time, thank them for their loyalty. New customers will require a lengthier introduction as to who you are and why your products merit their attention.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Additional features and resources. <\/strong>Explore your CRM\u2019s features and additional apps that can help you connect with your customers on social media and automate your communications with them. You\u2019ll learn more about them and they\u2019ll have an opportunity to connect with your business.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Reporting features. <\/strong>You\u2019ll be able to track not only the histories of interactions that your business has had with individual customers but also the broader habits and trends that your customers exhibit. This information can influence both your outreach efforts toward customers, as well as your business\u2019s future strategies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Your cloud-based system. <\/strong>Cloud-based software solutions are a top choice for association management systems<\/a>, as well as those that businesses and other organizations use whenever they need to store and organize customer or member data. With essentially unlimited storage space, you\u2019ll always be able to add relevant information on new and returning customers. Updates are automatic, and your customers\u2019 information is stored securely on your CRM.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brightpearl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Fonteva_Brightpearl_4-Innovative-Tactics-to-Learn-More-About-Your-Customers_Header-4-min.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brightpearl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/35b793e7-641e-4848-b9d8-7edd645ca162-1.jpeg\")
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