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• Use your customers
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Include their success stories in your newsletters, whether they are printed, emailed, or are online as part of your web site. Even if you don’t refer directly to your possible role in it, there is a good chance of a positive association is created. Include a photo if you can, and tell the story from the customer’s point of view.

Something which is often overlooked is sharing your customers with others.  Think about allied businesses who would appreciate networking and reciprocate, thereby bringing new business into the fold. Present it your customers as a “favour” – that you are sure they will benefit by being introduced to these suppliers.

Similarly, what about introducing your customers to the other supplier’s?  Might there not be a way they could expand their businesses by getting to know those who make purchases in an allied field?

You’ve worked hard for your customers, so handle it correctly and get them to work for you too.

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Some marketers know this, and don’t care. They’re in it for the short grab. Once they’ve made their sale, they’re out of there, like a side-show barker. They scoff at fables like “The Tortoise and the Hare”, where “slow and steady wins the race”.

Others, like you, really focus on providing a great product that does everything it claims. You don’t allow yourself to fall into the trap of being rushed. You check and test everything, so it all runs like clockwork.

You’d think that’s all there is to keeping your customer for repeat buying journeys, wouldn’t you?  Yet it’s amazing how easily you can lose even a happy, satisfied customer… unless your follow up is systematic and sound.

What Causes a Customer to Jump Ship?

Lots of things out of your control can do this:  A recommendation for your rival’s new product from a friend… the fact that he loves the sparkly fuchsia-and-tangerine website (when the rest of the world covers their eyes and yells, “I’m BLIND!”)… the fact that the header graphic you were selling didn’t come in the colors he prefers, but your competitor’s did…

However, even if he jumps ship once or twice, if you consistently work to please him, and use consistent follow up and contact habits – and most of all, he knows he can trust what you promise – there’s a good chance he may promptly come back to your fold.

Of course, it’s better that he never leave it in the first place… but if that happens, don’t cry over spilt milk: Just keep on refining your follow up efforts.

And besides, odds are – judging by online complaints and statistics – your competitor didn’t keep his promise and didn’t deliver the goods.

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The good news is that during the first month of the launch period, the price will be the same as the product it replaces.  The bad news?  Stocks will be in short supply. If you placed an advertisement in a newspaper, the chances are you”ll be sold out pretty quickly.  That’s fine … till a long-standing customer walks in and wants the product.  Now he has to wait — like any other new prospect — till you receive additional stock at the higher price!  It”s certainly not going to make him feel special.

A better way would be to have the advert prepared well in advance (you still need to announce the new product to the broad market) and then get copies printed.  Mail or email them to your customers, along with a letter explaining that you expect a rush at launch time and that you”d like them to receive the first chance to purchase the new product.  Put a time limit on their reacting to your advance notice … If they place their order prior to the launch date, you guarantee to supply them the product at the launch price — even if other customers take up all your stock and there”s a waiting period.

Apart from letting your customers know you always have their interests in mind, early orders will stand you in good stead with your supplier.  It demonstrates your commitment to the product and could lead to your receiving an additional allocation.

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• Staying in touch

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• Following up on a sale. A simple “thank you for your custom” approach is always appreciated. It stimulates positive word-of-mouth testimonials and is a good way to commence an ongoing communication relationship.
• Enquire whether a product or service was to their satisfaction.
• Newsletters about your business, its environment, or containing articles on your specific industry. A B&B could send out a newsletter reporting on past and forthcoming events in their area.
• Keeping them informed of changes or improvements to your products, business, or its services. A direct message lets you give far more detail than a normal advertisement. Plus, you won’t be paying to talk to people who have no interest in you or your business.
• Letting them know in advance of any special offers you have planned.
• Keeping them informed of any address or contact changes.
• Keeping them informed about anything that might affect or interest them, or that enhances the image of your business. Pavements being mended; easier parking, extended trading hours, new facilities.
• Try to be aware of personal events regarding your customers. Weddings, births, promotions – anything that can act as an excuse to make contact. Add the information to your database.
• Use a special event as an excuse to communicate, such as a major sports game. I get a great response whenever I send out special emails (with graphical elements) just before our national side plays test rugby, wishing my clients an enjoyable game. I’m not selling them anything, but it shows I’m thinking of them.

In short, use any excuse to stay in touch … without overdoing it.

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• Let Your Customers Be The First To Know

Any business - big or small – increases its turnover in 4 ways:

• Retaining customers
• Gaining more customers
• Increasing the frequency of transactions per customer
• Increasing the value of purchases or the range across which such purchases are spread. For example, getting a customer to buy a product and then its accessories at a later stage.

This means that three out of four promotional or growth opportunities involve effective customer retention. Yet, where do most of us focus our promotional effort and money? On attracting new customers.
The value of repeat customers
It’s been found that repeat customers spend, on average, 67% more than new customers. Not only do our existing customers offer the largest scope for boosting our business, they are also the most cost-effective group to promote to because:

• They have already proved their willingness, ability and authority to purchase. We don’t have to spend as much promotional money just to establish whether they are worthwhile prospects
• They are already familiar with our products and services. This means a reduced selling task. Why spend money advertising to them about how great our products or services are? We should rather use the money to get them to buy more frequently
• They are familiar with our business, what it stands for, its location and purchasing environment. We don’t have to use expensive advertising space spelling this out to them
• They are familiar with our staff. Provided the latter are competent and friendly, there’s less need to sell that aspect as well.
• They are familiar with us or our management team. If a good relationship exists, the selling task is easier. Remember that face-to-face selling is not merely the most effective promotional method, it’s also the most expensive!

Your customers are your competitors’ best prospects!
Why? Because the product or service has already been “sold”, it is known that the customer is willing to purchase and has the necessary authority and financial means to make such a purchasing decision. They therefore need less selling and promotional effort than a cold prospect. All our opposition has to do is to convince our customers that their business is the better place to buy from.

That’s why we dare not refrain from promoting to our existing customers, but we should communicate in a different manner – in ways which will make them feel “special”. We need to nurture our relationship with them, we must get to know their individual preferences and interests so that we can communicate with them more effectively.

Regular communication makes it easier for us to sell to them in the future, because they will have become used to our acknowledgement of their custom. With electronic methods staying in touch is quick, simple and inexpensive. We must ask all our customers for their email address and whether they would mind receiving information from us. Businesses which have a client rather than a customer interaction (e.g. a beauty salon) are in an ideal situation to do this, but virtually any retail business can and should give it a try.
Customer retention by means of effective and regular communication does take a bit of effort, but if done correctly the results make it well worth while.

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• Customer Retention : An Integrated Process for Keeping Your Best Customers
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