As a business leader in the retail space, keeping your clients coming back to your store and earning their loyalty is likely a key pillar of your business model. One of the best ways to make this happen is by adopting a client-centric approach at your store.
A client-centric business strategy is one that keeps your client at the center of everything you do and informs all of your business decisions from which products you keep in stock to how you talk to your buyers.
Let's dive into what client centricity looks like in practice, its benefits, and how you can implement a client-centric strategy at your retail business.
What is client centricity?
Client centricity, or customer centricity, is an approach to business that focuses on creating positive experiences for your clients through optimized service. Under this business strategy, your clients are at the center of everything you do.
The goal of the client-centric business model is to earn loyal customers that earn you repeat business rather than casual, one-time shoppers that don't have meaningful experiences or connections to your brand.
What are the benefits of client-centric retailing?
Adopting a client-centric approach into your business strategy is a smart move for a lot of reasons—especially for retailers who are trying to boost customer loyalty.
Let's go over a few of the benefits of implementing a client-centric business approach.
Boost customer satisfaction
First, creating a customer-centric culture at your retail store is bound to increase the number of satisfied customers at your store. After all, what shopper wouldn't want to be treated like they're your number one priority and someone is going the extra mile just for them?
And customer surveys show that today's consumers are heavily motivated by the customer experience they receive. Data reported by Oberlo found that nearly three-quarters of today's consumers cite a positive customer experience as an important factor in their purchasing decisions.
Just remember that when it comes to building a customer-centric culture, being genuine is key. In the same Oberlo report, 88% of consumers stated authenticity is important when deciding what brands they like and support.
Earn repeat business
Next, client-centric companies are far more likely to earn repeat business. If a client has a positive customer service experience, they're going to want to come back and shop with you again.
And the longer a client stays loyal to your brand, the more money they'll spend with you over time. Data show that return shoppers spend 67% more on average than new ones.
So if you're looking to increase customer lifetime value and build customer loyalty, adopting a client-centric approach is the way to go.
Elevate your brand
Finally, a client-centric business approach elevates your entire brand experience for your buyers. If a client gets top-notch service, a personalized experience, and feels like your sales team is interested in building long-term relationships with them, it sets your brand apart from the competition.
When you treat every client like they're more than just another buyer, they'll see you as more than just another retail store.
How to implement a client-centric strategy at your retail business
Now that we've covered the benefits of adopting a customer-centric approach, let's talk about how you can make it happen at your retail store.
Below are a few customer-centric strategies to help get you started.
Focus on the relationship, not the sale
This might seem obvious, but the first step is to train your sales team to focus on building stronger relationships with shoppers, not just closing a sale. This strategy is known as relationship selling, and is a proven way to earn satisfied customers.
Train your team to get to know the people who come into your store. Have them ask good questions, like: "Who are you shopping for today? Do you have a birthday coming up? How would you describe your personal style?"
By focusing on getting to know your shoppers and learning the answers to questions like these, your team will have the information they need to offer personalized deals and start clienteling to them after they leave your store.
Make the most of retail technology
Remember that you don't have to go about switching up your entire customer experience strategy on your own. There are tons of retail technology tools available to retailers today to help you automate the more tedious tasks.
For example, if you're currently using a manual client information sheet to keep track of all of your clients, upgrading to a digital solution, like client management software, is a great way to optimize your processes so you and your team can focus on really getting to know your clients—not just remembering their name.
Measure your results
Finally, any business decision you make needs to have metrics tied to it to measure its success. When it comes to measuring the impact of customer centricity at your business, there are several key metrics you can use.
For example, you may use your customer retention rate to gauge if your team's efforts are translating to a decrease in the number of customers that are churning out.
Additional metrics including customer lifetime value, churn rates, customer feedback surveys, customer reviews, and more. You may decide to use one or multiple of these metrics together to get a clear picture of how your business is doing.
Conclusion
Transforming your business strategy to center entirely around your client isn't a change that will happen overnight, but with a little time, training, and practice, it can elevate your brand and help set you apart from your competitors.
The best part is, you don't have to go about it on your own. Clienteling tools like Clientbook are built for retailers like you who are ready to take their retail store to the next level. If you're ready to see how Clientbook can help you build a company culture that's centered on your clients, book a personalized demo today.
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