[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By Mark Landiak & Michael Janowski
August 5, 2015 – Wireless customers can go years with the same service provider and not consider switching. They might be tempted with a cheaper rate plan or an upgraded device. But brand loyalty runs strong when properly cultivated.
Consider this: With saturation in the marketplace, the focus in wireless has to shift from acquisition to customer retention. Due to the availability of group/family plans and the growth of younger generations using mobile technology, there are entire families that are beginning to usher their children and grandchildren into the care of their own wireless service provider. Wireless service providers are beginning to assume a unique new position among the family unit. That position is characterized by a loyalty, understanding, and trust. But in the future, it may also carry meanings of tradition. It may not be all that uncommon to one day hear someone utter something akin to the phrase, “We’ve been a (insert your wireless provider) family for years now. It’s our family’s wireless company.”
How will we get to that point? What will it look like? For your wireless business, it will begin and end with the customer experience you provide and the relationship you build. A customer isn’t just buying a phone and a plan; they’re buying a relationship with you as their wireless dealer. They are buying the belief that they can rely on you to facilitate a basic human need: the need to communicate. Here are the top 5 things you need to know about your customer:
- Needs. Above all, it is imperative that you know how your customer currently uses their mobile device. It may be for personal and/or professional use. But knowing what your customer does in their everyday life and how they stay connected is a huge part of understanding their identity.
- Network. Your customers do not build an identity in isolation. It’s made through the connections they keep. As a wireless sales rep, know with whom your customers communicate (as well as how often) and look to tailor a mobile solution that complements that network.
- Passions. Understanding your customer identity is understanding their passions. What are their hobbies and interests? What are their favorites in culture? What fascinates them? What do they enjoy in their free time? Be sure to listen intently here. Sharing these passions can provide you vital information to help you tailor a solution and even form a strong customer-provider bond.
- Goals. Goals are a little more lofty, but it’s important to understand what drives your customer because that same thing also dictates their decision-making. What are their dreams? Where do they want to go in life, and how can their mobile device (and a relationship with you as a provider) help them get there?
- Budget. I saved budget for last because when you’ve done your due diligence as a wireless sales rep with each of the aforementioned things, the price will take care of itself. Each of your customers will be operating on their own budget. Your responsibility is to tailor the best solution with respect to that budget. Be transparent and show them you care by demonstrating a willingness to go above and beyond to find the most bang for their buck.
In a world with growing demand for richness and immediacy in media (getting things right away and at their highest quality), a customer’s mobile device is a reflection of their identity. Your responsibility as their wireless service provider is to understand how your wireless services contribute to crafting your customers’ identity and tailor your service accordingly.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]