Monday / February 6. 2023
menu-logo menu-logo
brand-logo
Subscribe
Subscribe
Monday / February 6. 2023
  • Read
    • Daily News
      • Financial
      • Insights
      • U.S.
      • International
    • Digital Issue
    • Cover Stories
    • Feature Articles
    • Company Spotlights
    • Exclusive Interviews
    • Executive Announcements
    • Forward Thinking
    • For You | For Your Field
    • Working Smart
    • New Perspectives
    • From the Publisher
  • Listen & Watch
    • Direct Approach
    • Iconic Insights
    • The DSN Podcast
  • Attend
    • Direct Selling University
    • Global Celebration
  • Achieve
    • Global 100 List
    • CCR Program
    • Best Places to Work
    • Bravo Awards
    • Legends
  • Research
    • Digital Momentum Index
    • Stock Watch
    • Stock Ticker
    • Supplier Directory
    • Resources
  • Engage
    • Supporter Program
    • VIP Text Alerts
  • About
    • About DSN
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Store
    • Connect
  • Search
Subscribe

Build Trust Through Online Responsiveness

BY DSN Staff | October 26, 2018 | read / Daily News

The goal of a direct selling company’s online marketing strategy is building trust through personal relationships with customers.

The direct selling channel is based on the one-to-one interactions between independent consultants and customers. But what about the relationship between the company and the customer? What happens when negative comments appear online about a company’s products or services? And more importantly, what do you do about them to keep building consumer trust?

Customer Service

In the online world, comments and reviews are closely monitored. Millennials, the largest purchasing group, place more weight on word of mouth recommendations, and more than one-third of them prefer to wait until someone they trust has tried a new brand.

Many companies have implemented online chats so that customers can have questions answered in real time and any customer service issues can be resolved immediately. But it’s not just having that capability; it is how you use it to connect with customers. Here’s an example.

Two years ago, LinkedIn shared a hilarious chat between an Amazon customer support rep and a customer who had not received a book. (If you have not read it, click here.) While Thor and Odin (think movie Thor) roleplay was involved, the outcome went well beyond fun and a happy customer—it was the trust built between the brand and that customer as well as the instant sharing of the experience with the online community.

Does this mean you should train your reps in pop culture—Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow (Game of Thrones) speak or Dumbledore and Severus Snape (Harry Potter) talk? No, but making interactions more fun goes a long way in creating a lasting relationship and in helping to diffuse potentially explosive situations. Customers just want you to listen to them and help with issues.

Online Comments

Customers also want you to respond, more so than companies typically do. Uberall, Inc. recently released the results of its “Customer Review Report.” While the report focused on how shoppers evaluate brick-and-mortar store reviews online, the responses can be applied to direct selling, where storefronts are the faces of consultants.

Here are the results that might cause you to pause and reconsider your strategy for responding to online comments posted to your website or social media platforms:

Response frequency

65% of respondents believe brands should respond to every comment, whether the review is positive or negative. In addition, 18% believe they should respond only when the review is negative, while 10% feel they should never respond and 6% think they should only respond when the review is positive.

Takeaway: Have a proactive voice in conversations. Shoppers aren’t just looking for positive online reviews, they’re actually evaluating the quality of the customer experience based on online responsiveness.

Personal responses

More than 3 out of 4 respondents think responses should be personal. When asked how personalized a response should be to a customer review, 78% said that there should be some personalization. Forty-nine percent said responses should be “somewhat personalized,” while 29% said “very personalized.” Just 13% said “not very personalized” and 9% said “not personalized.”

Takeaway: Individualization is required to show that the brand cares about the customer. This is why platforms like Google and Yelp insist that businesses post personal responses versus generic, meaningless ones.

Responsiveness

More than 86% are likely to shop at a store that responds to reviews. Of that group, 47% said “somewhat more likely,” while 39% said “more likely.” Only 8% said “somewhat less likely” while 6% said “not likely.”

Takeaway: Consumers prefer businesses who care about them, and it shouldn’t be a surprise that personal responses to reviews show just that to consumers who research a business. Responding to reviews is great for brand perception, which leads to more new customers and repeat business from existing ones.

Importance of reviews

Nearly 75% think online reviews are important. When asked about the importance of online customer reviews for a store, 74% cited them as either “moderately important” (40%) or “very important” (34%). Just 20% said “slightly important” and 6% said they were “not important.”

Takeaway: Customer reviews are important, period. Three-quarters of those surveyed said they were either very or fairly influential. With so many options out there, stores live or die based on their ratings.

You don’t have to bring pop culture into your interactions with customers but be aware that making customer experiences fun and responding on a regular basis with personalization will help build trust and, ultimately, bring new customers.

Posted in Daily News and tagged Customer Review Report, Customer Service, Customers, Direct Selling, Direct Selling News, DSN, interactions, LinkedIn, marketing strategy, Millennial, MLM, Multi-Level Marketing, Online Comments, online marketing strategy, Personal responses, personalization, Response frequency, Responsiveness, Reviews, Strategy, Uberall.
Related Articles
Plexus Unveils New Technology at Annual Super Saturday Event   February 06, 2023

Plexus Unveils New Technology at Annual Super Saturday Event  

Read more
Hinode Group to Launch in Uruguay, Portugal and U.S.  February 06, 2023

Hinode Group to Launch in Uruguay, Portugal and U.S. 

Read more
LifeVantage Posts Revenue of $53.7 Million in Q2 of Fiscal 2023  February 06, 2023

LifeVantage Posts Revenue of $53.7 Million in Q2 of Fiscal 2023 

Read more
brand-logo
The News You Need.
The Name You Trust.
Subscribe

Breaking global news, emerging trends and powerful stories conveniently curated to help direct selling executives stay informed, engaged and a step ahead.

  • Read
  • Listen & Watch
  • Attend
  • Achieve
  • Research
  • About
  • Connect
5717 Legacy Drive
Suite 250
Plano, Texas 75024
info@directsellingnews.com
Copyright 2023 Direct Selling News | All Rights Reserved
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT