Ways to Stay Connected to Your Customers When Working Remotely was originally published on Ivy Exec.
The COVID-19 pandemic has supported more fully-remote teams than ever. Before the pandemic, most teams, even departments that didn’t interface with customers directly, connected with clients in some way. Whether that was talking to customer-facing colleagues in the cafeteria or elevator, or during daily staff meetings, they would focus on the customer.
Even at the start of the pandemic, companies kept their focus on serving customer needs. Specifically, they considered how to make their products and services meaningful to clients in a time of crisis and action.
As remote work has become more permanent, however, the disconnection between teams and their customers has become more pronounced. Team members who don’t have direct interactions with customers are remaining productive, but they may focus too much on their own metrics, rather than on customer needs.
“In the short term, this puts the organization at risk for silos. In the long term, an organization without a clear sight line to customers is at risk of being out-innovated and eventually becoming irrelevant. One need look no further than Sears, Blockbuster or Monster.com to see what happens when an organization loses their tether to customers,” wrote Lisa Earle McLeod and Elizabeth Lotardo for Harvard Business Review.
In other words, companies that become disengaged with their customers are not setting themselves up for success. Rather, they may be creating solutions or growth that don’t fit client expectations at all.
Teams don’t have to wait for irrelevance to strengthen their customer ties. Instead, remote teams can use these tactics to be more responsive.
Discuss specific customers with your teams
One of the ways that teams can feel disconnected from customers is if you speak of customers like they’re a monolith, rather than as individuals. During staff meetings, encourage customer-facing team members to share specific stories about individual customer’s struggles or product use cases. Rather than thinking of a general, non-specific “customer,” this practice helps everyone focus on the real people connected to the company.
Use customer data to individualize their experiences
Teams can feel more connected to customers if they know something about their specific experience. Rather than treating customers identically, or even as part of a type, companies can use individualized data to develop relationships with customers. This not only encourages a stronger connection between team members and customers, but also improves brand loyalty.
Connect with customers regularly, not just when you have a specific agenda
When teams get busy, they may only check in with clients when a concern or intention arises. Instead, aim to build a personal relationship beyond the necessity. This way, clients feel cared for, regardless of their purchasing status.
“[I]f you normally have a weekly call, send them a one-off email just to see how they’re doing. This shows your customers that they’re still a priority for you, and also helps make sure they don’t forget about the importance of your partnership,” RentSpree explained.
Build relationships with customers using various tools
Remote teams aren’t going to be doing product demos in the office, for instance. But because of a lack of physical connection, it’s even more important to connect with clients using various interfaces. For instance, you might connect with a client on LinkedIn or Twitter. Or you could text, email, or even live chat with them, based on their preferences.
Other companies have started using innovative methods of connecting with clients using visual virtual platforms. For instance, you could demonstrate your product using screen sharing or host a group chat with several members of your team and theirs.
Continue focusing on customer impact when making decisions
If your team has tunnel vision on metrics and productivity, rather than on customer satisfaction, it’s time for a redirect. Asking a simple question like, “How does this impact our customers?” can make decisions more client-focused.
For example, a team was supposed to improve cash flow for their company. At first, they decided that vendors should have to sign a 60-day payment term before they could work for the company.
“When the team asked, ‘What impact will this have on customers?’ they realized some fatal flaws in the plan. For example: The organization had just partnered with an IT vendor who was supporting them through major internal system changes,” explained McLeod and Lotardo.
Remote Teams Continue to Prioritize Customers
One of the drawbacks of remote work is that co-workers can’t have “watercooler conversations” as easily. No longer can they share client profiles or feedback in the elevator or hallways. But that reality has also made it more difficult for remote teams to stay connected to their customers, especially if they never interact with them. By using these strategies, both customer-facing and internal teams can make sure they are focusing on their top priority: their customers.
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