How to Build Customer Connections

How to Build Customer Connections

According to Dr. Jordan Sudberg, the CEO and Medical Director of Spine and Sports Rehabilitation at The Center for Pain Management in New York City, “The most important thing a doctor can do is build relationships with his or her patients.” Basing your practice on this principle will help you create long-lasting customer connections that will benefit you and your patient.

1. Listen

Listening is an essential part of building strong customer relationships. To listen effectively means to pay attention to what people are saying, not just to their words but also to how they say them. Listening helps you understand the needs and concerns of your customers. It allows one person to express themselves without feeling judged. When you listen well, you learn about your customers’ problems, feelings, hopes, dreams, and fears.

2. Empathy

To customers, empathy means understanding their emotions and being able to relate to them. Have the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. This skill makes it easier to empathize with others. An emotional connection between the provider and the patient creates trust and builds rapport.

3. Quality Customer Services

Customer feedback is one of the best ways to gauge how well a business is doing at providing quality services. It also helps you improve service delivery by identifying areas to make changes. Likewise, Dr. Sudberg recommends that doctors ask their patients about their experiences with them. This allows you to learn what they like and dislike about your office and what could be improved.

4. Provide Value

Dr. Sudberg says that it is essential to provide Value to your customers. He explains that if you are not offering something unique or valuable to your patients, you should find another way to serve them. For example, he suggests that doctors offer free consultations because people often feel more comfortable talking to someone with no financial interest in their care. Another idea would be to give discounts to patients loyal to your practice.

5. Create a Relatable Purpose

Building rapport with your customers starts by creating a relatable purpose for them. This can be as simple as “we want you to get better faster” or something more specific such as “we want to help you recover from an injury so you can return to work sooner.” Customers tend to trust companies that have a clear purpose.

6. Be Honest About Your Processes

It’s easy to say, “We will do everything we can to make sure you get better.” But what if you don’t? What happens when there is a problem? How does this affect your relationship with your patient? It’s essential to be honest about how you operate and what you can and cannot control. Letting the customer know you are human and that mistakes happen helps build trust. Lack of transparency creates distrust.

As a Medical Director of Spine and Sports Rehabilitation, Dr. Jordan Sudberg has gained valuable insight into building customer connections. He says that developing these relationships takes time and effort, but it is worth the investment. The goal is to become a trusted resource for your patients. By offering them services that benefit them, you will gain loyal customers.