Crystal Clear Communications Blog

It’s a fact that the customer experience is vital for businesses to succeed. Great customer experiences create loyal clients, who in turn are your best advocates and keep your customer turnover low.

Do you ensure great customer experience in times of change or uncertainty? Crises, mergers, and acquisitions can confuse clients or, worse, scare them into thinking they should look for another source.

Here are four tips for reassuring your current clients and keeping prospects in your pipeline during times of change:

1. Make a Message Map 

Even if you already have a Message Map for your company or solution, make one for today’s specific situation. Your Message Map should clearly state what’s in it for your buyers. Why should they stick with you or buy from you during a time they may see as challenging?

Next, test your Message Map by looking at it through the eyes of your buyers. Does it answer these buyer questions in a clear, compelling manner:

• What’s in it for me?
• Why should I stick with this company now?
• Is this company committed to my personal (and career) success?

Finally, before you use your Message Map, train other employees how to use it. This ensures that everyone sings the same song, so your buyers will hear a consistent, credible message.

2. Deliver your message directly to clients

One of the most important things you can do to maintain buyer trust and ensure positive customer experiences during a crisis or time of change is to communicate directly to them.

If you’re a larger company and can’t call every client due to time constraints, you still need to make sure they receive your message directly from you. Emails, texts, and voicemails are all other options.

“If you don’t have customers, you don’t have a business. So you need to build trust with them, especially during times of change,” says Tony Audino, CEO at Conenza.

“We recently merged with IntraWorlds, and we ensured that all of our clients received a personal phone call with an honest, consistent message. And we continue to update them regularly on progress. It takes time, and it’s worth every minute.”

Whatever communication vehicle you choose, provide clients a way to ask questions and ensure they get answers.

3. Inform your clients as soon as possible for a good customer experience

Do everything possible to deliver your message in a timely manner, especially if your news is big enough to be in the news. To ensure the best customer experience, your clients should hear news about you directly from you, in your words, before they read it in the news or hear it from a third party or competitor.

That’s because timeliness is the key to maintaining client trust and ensuring a good, consistent customer experience.

4. Communicate regularly to preserve the customer experience

Reassure clients and prospects by continuing to provide updates on progress after the announcement or event — especially when there will be ongoing information, such as during a merger or a longer crisis, like the current pandemic.

In addition to regular communications, work to provide the same level of service and responsiveness as before the merger or acquisition. If that’s impossible due to extreme weather or reduced staff, reset expectations. Make sure your clients know the reason and that you are doing everything you can to meet their needs.

Always provide open lines of communication so clients can ask questions and receive answers in a timely manner.

Loyal clients are one of your company’s most important assets. Guarding the customer experience in times of crisis or uncertainty is essential to maintaining trust with your buyers. Frequent, clear communications work wonders in easing buyer concerns.

Need clear, compelling messaging for your stakeholders? We can help. Email us today.

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