Customers play a key role for start-ups, who place them at the heart of their development strategy. Here are five reasons why customers should not be seen as a mere source of income.
The customer is the lifeblood of the company, and their role is all the more important in start-ups, where everything has to be done and developed: offers, processes, skills, credibility, etc. Your customers are not just a source of income for your company, they contribute directly and indirectly to your entire development strategy.
Here are 5 reasons why you should put your customers at the heart of your business strategy.
Early adopters and the evolution of the offer
Agile method, sprints, MVP, landings page, startups are known for their ability to launch products in record time. These products are often V0s aimed at testing a market, a need, a target. These services and products are of course meant to evolve, and what better way to do so than with consumers?
Early adopters are all those people who are most likely to buy a new product when it is launched. These consumers are very curious and want to be the first to adopt a new product to get a feel for it. They will therefore also be the first to give you feedback and express specific needs in relation to your offers.
The customer as "quality control
Your product will never be perfect, and your customers are there to remind you of this. Whether it's the processes, the quality of the offer, the extent of your service, your deadlines, etc., your customers reveal the strengths and weaknesses of your offers and help you identify areas for improvement. Your customers reveal the strengths and weaknesses of your offerings, and help you identify areas for improvement.
Developing effective marketing strategies
It is often through data analysis that we can implement marketing strategies that really convert. The data you collect from your consumers plays a key role here: analysis of their buying behaviour, habits, needs, transactional data, navigation data, interaction data, socio-demographic data, etc.
This data will allow you to better target your campaigns, adapt your message, develop SEO content strategies and convert new customers.
Team challenge and skills development
Just as they push you to evolve your offerings, your customers challenge your teams and help them to become more competent. Meeting their expectations is sometimes a real challenge. For example, there are :
Clients in a hurry: who ask you to do a team sprint to deliver a product or service in record time. Services that promote cohesion and stimulate teams.
Customers who want more: Many customers will want more than they bargained for in the first place. At first difficult to manage, these customer requests are nevertheless essential for your startup. They can reveal an incomplete offer, a need that your teams did not meet, or a misunderstanding at the time of the sale. You can therefore draw several conclusions from them:
- learn to say no,
- adapt or improve your offer,
- clarify your sales pitch.
Customers who want more: you have to distinguish between customers who want more and those who want better. Some customers will challenge your teams on processes, on the approach, on collaboration, or even on the service and product. They will push your teams to improve their skills in order to offer a much more complete and high-quality service for the same offer.
Client ambassadors
A customer is an ambassador for your brand! From the moment you start working with them, they become "social proof" that will help you establish your credibility. A customer's opinion and level of satisfaction will directly influence the reputation of your startup, in one way or the other.
Customer reviews
Customer reviews are free, short and powerful social proof. It is sometimes not easy to collect them, but many customer review tools exist and simplify this task. Customer reviews are "mass" social proof in a way. Some prospects need to see a lot of them, and in a variety of ways, before they can trust the product.
Customer testimonials
Harder to obtain than opinions, testimonies provide more information and allow for a better projection. Sometimes in the form of video or written interviews, testimonials allow for a full discussion of a project.
Business introducers
A satisfied customer will attract others! Without even mentioning a "business referral contract", a satisfied consumer will talk about it around him and will contribute to your reputation.
Clients who create content
Your customers will also talk about you on social networks. They will share their experience, interact with your community. A free and sincere communication, which will bring you visibility.
The portfolio
Your achievements are essential levers that will enable you to show your skills, your approach, the details of your services, etc. to your prospects. The portfolio is all the more important in a start-up, as it provides transparency and clarity. It also plays a role of introspection at the time of writing, allowing you to take stock of each of your achievements.
