Your customer communications, whether print, email, or mobile, are the face of your business. If your conversation isn’t meaningful, your products never get noticed. That’s why customer-centricity (or making the customer central to every interaction) is critical to your success. Here are five steps to making sure that every communication is customer-centric: 

1. Think as they do. 

Buyers want to be understood. When creating your messaging, think like your customers and create messaging that causes them to say, “Hey! They understand me!” 

2. Use empathy.

Put on your customers’ shoes. Understand where they are coming from so that you can craft messaging they can relate to. This is always important, but it is particularly so during these challenging times associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. 

3. Track the customer journey. 

How do your customers arrive at a purchasing decision? Do they research products online? Rely on customer reviews? At what point in the journey do they contact a salesperson? 

Understanding the customer journey requires connecting all customer touchpoints, both online and offline, to know how they go from product awareness to making a purchase. This enables you to create messaging that resonates and is relevant at each stage. 

4. Break down silos. 

Most customers interact with you using multiple channels, so consolidate your customer information into a single database to get a complete view of each customer. Tie together all of the points of connection to improve consumers’ overall experience with your brand. 

5. Talk like a human being. 

Talk to your customer, not at them. Be human. Interact as if you are person to person, not marketer to customer. The more your customer can relate to you; the more effective your communication will be. 

Direct marketing is critical to driving your sales efforts, so be personal, relatable, and human. People like to buy from brands they love and admire on a personal level. Be a brand they want to buy from.