Focus on Customer Retention, Watch Your Sales Increase
If the bulk of your marketing efforts are focused on acquiring new customers, you could be missing out on a sizable chunk of profit.
It’s important to re-engage with your existing customers regularly, and focusing on customer retention is a great way to cultivate a revenue-generating base of loyal buyers.
With that in mind, here are four ideas for marketing to your existing customers.
1. Send them a birthday note and/or discount
Ask your customers when their birthday is, and then acknowledge the event with a nice, personalized note. This is a particularly good move for consultants and other service providers — wish the client a happy birthday and tell them you look forward to working together soon. It’s a small gesture that’s enough to keep you on their radar.
If you’re feeling particularly generous, a birthday discount or freebie is even better. It doesn’t have to be an expensive item or a massive discount, either.
2. Check in after a customer buys from you
After you’ve secured the sale, set a reminder to follow up with the customer after a certain period of time. This works well for all types of businesses: If you’ve helped a customer design a new website, ask how the new site is working out for their business.
They’ll appreciate the gesture, and you can answer questions and solve any issues that may have come up since the initial purchase. You might also have the chance to sell the customer additional products and services.
3. Reward existing customers for their loyalty
What incentives do customers have to return to your business? Is there any way you can reward them for their loyalty? Loyalty programs are an effective marketing tool that you can use to entice customers to come back for another purchase.
You’ve seen loyalty programs at work in restaurants, coffee shops, and other establishments, but you may need to think outside the box for your own business. If you’re a service provider, can you create a referral program for loyal customers who refer their network to you? After a client has been with you for a certain period of time, could you offer them a free 30-minute phone consult to brainstorm next steps?
4. Learn how to offer amazing customer service
When you treat your customers well they’ll be inclined to return to your business again and again, no specialized marketing campaigns needed. Offering excellent customer service is about more than being nice, though. Have a look at these resources to learn the ins and outs of making customer service work for you:
Building Customer Loyalty Through Customer Service
Is Great Customer Service the Best Policy?
5 Reasons Customer Support is More Important Than Ever Before
Best Practices for Killer Customer Service
Top 5 Reasons to Run Your Customer Service Remotely
Top 4 Questions You Should Ask Before Hiring a Remote Customer Service Provider
