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Keeping in Touch With Your Customers
Out of sight is out of mind – so you must do everything you can to keep your business in front of customers' eyes and fixed in their minds. Read some specific tips for keeping the lines of communication open.
If a customer falls away "for no particular reason," this usually means you've failed to maintain a channel of communication. In other words, the onus is on you to keep in touch with customers. What are the best means of doing so?
- Start a newsletter (either conventional or email, a very cost-effective option). This is a great way of marketing to re-establish relationships with dormant customers. You can use the newsletter to tell customers, both past and present, about new products and services, forthcoming sales, etc. One key tip for a successful newsletter: be sure to offer something of value for free with each issue. Tax tips, useful business advice, even a fun word puzzle – use something to generate interest, so customers look forward to getting the newsletter and don't assume that it's going to be just another sales pitch.
- Use your database to determine when your customers go "dead." For example, if your customers typically buy from you at least once a month, makes sure your database is able to flag the customers who have not bought from you for two months. Get onto these customers right away; the sooner you contact them, the greater your chance of wooing them back into the fold. Make sure you contact all "lost" customers within three months of their last sale (or an appropriate timeframe according to the customer buying cycle of your business).
- Start a customer loyalty scheme. This might include privileges for regular customers, such as invitations to sales previews before the general public, special discounts after reaching certain purchase volumes, etc. Anything that makes customers feel special and valued is dynamite marketing.
- Keep in touch with your customers at least every 90 days. Contact the top 20% personally at least twice a year. You'll typically get 80% of your business from this group.
- Invite feedback, act on it promptly, tell respondents what action you've taken, and thank them for their help.
- Send them a small gift at Christmas, or on their birthday (if you keep such records). This could vary from a pen with your logo on it, to a card, or a calendar - whatever marketing is appropriate for your business circumstances.
You can generate more retention tactics yourself, including ones that are specially suited to your type of business. Remember that, once you've won customers back, you must stay motivated and ensure you don't lose them again. Retention is one of the most sincere forms of prosperity.
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