Ease Your Customers’ Pain
By Dino Piccinini
If you’re a B2C business, consider this very real scenario: your customer is forking over $75 to fill up her mini-van and $100 for a few days’ worth of groceries. She’s stuck in a high-rate mortgage with no hope of redemption, her husband is on the verge of being downsized and she’s not sure whether they’ll be able to afford health care for their family next year. Trust me, your profits are the last thing on her mind.

As a savvy business marketer (and a thinking, feeling human being), your question should be, “How can I help?” People appreciate, trust and respond to people who help them. The answer to how you can help is simple: ease your customers’ pain.

It’s tempting to focus only on the negatives of a down economy, but, like Grandma used to say, every cloud has a silver lining, and our nebulous economic condition is no exception. When your customer is feeling pain at the pump, the grocery store and the online bill pay screen, you can provide some relief.

Easing a customer’s pain isn’t just about offering discounts, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Little touches, like added convenience or extra value, go a long way toward helping – and retaining – customers during a rough economy. Even if your customer can't make a purchase now, she'll be more likely to bring you business when the economy picks up and she's back on her feet.

Here’s a list of ways to offer up a little help without breaking the bank:

• Offer extended hours to accommodate busy schedules
• Create an after-hours, closed-doors VIP shopping session
• Partner with a neighboring restaurant for a “lunch & learn” seminar
• Add value with free delivery, installation or an extended warranty
• Turn your “informational” website into an e-commerce site – sell products online
• Diversify: provide ancillary services so clients don’t have to hire additional vendors
• Make sure your website is simple to navigate

These ideas are particularly useful in today’s economy, but they’re really timeless opportunities to retain and increase your customer base. Not only will they appeal current customers, they may draw new customers too. And it’ll make you feel good that you’re helping ease their pain.

Dino Piccinini is the owner of The PRstore in Toledo (www.prstore.com), a full-service marketing company focusing on the communication needs of today’s small business community, and GoGreen Branding (www.gogreenbranding.com), a firm that helps businesses develop their “green” initiatives with eco-friendly promotional products. Contact him at (419) 842-8580 or via email at dpiccinini@prstore.com.