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However much autonomy you enjoy as a digital business owner, you’re still heavily dependent on one group of people: your customers. And every time a customer gives feedback on your product or service, it’s a valuable opportunity to build your relationship even further and revisit your existing offer.
But when you’ve poured your heart and soul into creating your offer, receiving feedback and additional requests can feel like a bitter pill to swallow at first. And so today’s episode is all about how to address customer requests gracefully, no matter what your knee-jerk response may be. Tune in to discover why taking a step back and evaluating requests objectively can reveal important insights into your customers’ behavior, preferences, and unmet needs.
Looking for closed captioning or a transcript? Watch the episode on YouTube!
A Sneak Peek at the Episode
[1:27] It’s always important to handle customer requests with grace and gratitude (no matter what your knee-jerk reaction is!) and focus on the value of customer engagement for your business.
[3:15] Every customer interaction is an opportunity to connect with your audience and build up your relationship with them. It’s also an opportunity to evaluate your existing offer and see if the request is something you could roll into your current program.
[4:35] The first thing to evaluate is if this request is something you could add to your program for a relatively low level of effort. Nicki gives an example of a customer request she chose to add into her Circuit Sales System program.
[7:17] When we care so much about our customers and our success, there can be a tendency to over-accommodate. Before committing, look at the request objectively and ask yourself if it really makes sense for you to add this into your program.
[8:38] It doesn’t have to be a black or white answer—you can meet people halfway. Be creative to see if you can get to the bottom of what customers really want. Nicki and Kate share some examples of how they’ve done this across the Nicki K Media courses.
[12:03] Often, people’s questions are just a reflection of their resistance kicking up. That’s why it’s crucial to assess the questions people ask so you can get to the core of the issue.
[13:03] Sometimes, customers request refunds because they doubt their ability to succeed or worry they can’t actually afford it. By offering reassurance, additional support, or flexible payment options, you can address these issues.
[14:12] Whenever a customer makes a request, it’s a chance to improve your program or create new offerings that meet their needs. It also helps you understand your customers better, helping to inform your sales process and customer support efforts.
[15:50] Although your initial reaction to a request can feel negative, be grateful for the opportunity to learn and improve. Assume good intentions, thank them for their feedback, and ask clarifying questions if needed.
[18:48] Sometimes people request things that you either can’t do or you don’t want to do. Nicki explains how to address those requests positively, using an example from her copywriting training course.
[21:20] The key is to be transparent in your responses to build trust and help customers understand your decisions. Use positive language and treat customers with the respect you’d expect if you were interacting with a customer service team.
Related Links
- How to Prevent Buyer’s Remorse for Your Online Course
- Objection Handling: What Prospects Really Mean by “I Can’t Afford It”
- 6 Ways to Know When It’s Time to Hire for Your Small Business
Must-Hear Takeaways
As with every episode, we highly encourage you to listen to the entire conversation! But, here are a few of the highlights:
“When we are communicating with our customers, it needs to be done with grace, politeness, and also fundamentally gratitude. I think it’s easy to forget once someone has purchased that we are grateful for when they purchased and we’re grateful for them participating in the program. Before you respond, just take a moment to center yourself first and think about no matter what this request is, how cool is it that I have a business and how cool is it that this person chose to give me their hard-earned money for something that I created. Fundamentally, that is pretty darn amazing. So no matter how you decide to respond, start from that place.” – Nicki
“It’s an opportunity to make customers feel heard, respected, and valued and to evaluate your existing offer and to be a little bit detached from it.” – Kate
“Even if your headspace is, ‘Oh, this is annoying’ or ‘Oh, they’re always asking for something’, every time a customer reaches out to request something it’s a really valuable piece of feedback. First of all, think of how many other customers may be thinking the same thing but haven’t haven’t reached out or maybe haven’t even taken the time to identify that this request would be something that would benefit them.” – Nicki
“I think the one thing that I really want to caution people about is that—especially when we care so much about our customers and we care so much about our success—there can be a tendency to try to over accommodate and whenever anybody makes a request to try to accommodate that request, no matter what that request is. And really we kind of tie ourselves in knots to try to make something work. Before you do that, take a moment to step back and look at that request objectively. Does it make sense that this is something that you could put together and add in your program?” – Nicki
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About the Energize Your Online Business Podcast
Are you sick of the stress, chaos, and risk of trying to keep up with the next big thing in digital marketing? And what about the confusion of trying to scale, build a team, and still try to make sure your business is worth the effort it takes to run it? You are not alone.
Join Nicki Krawczyk, a 20-year marketing veteran and owner of a multi-seven-figure-per-year digital training company and her co-host Kate Sitarz as they bust through the online business industry echo chamber to talk about how to make consistent, predictable sales and how to scale your business with simple and stress-free systems.
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