The most important thing you can do as a business owner is create a loyal and steady stream of repeat customers. It costs at least twice as much to rope a new customer and drag him into the fold, kicking and screaming, as it does to maintain and thrill a current one. Here are the top five things you can do to help keep your customers happy and build a business with a strong foundation of repeat clients.
1. Communication
Communicate, communicate, communicate. And we’re not talking color copies tucked into mailboxes here. Customers want to feel like they are the center of your universe, and that they are special. Put on some lipstick and get ready to kiss some babies. Part of making sure they feel the love and know you are thinking about them. is by communicating with them.
Make it a common practice to communicate on a regular basis with your customers. If you are working a project with them, communicate at least every two days. If you are not working on a current project with them, make sure at least once every two weeks you send them a quick message. Maybe send them a link to a cool website.
2. Consistency
Above all else, customers want to feel secure that what they are going to get at the end of a project is what they are expecting. They need to know you’re not a snake oil salesman in Iowa, like Professor Harold Hill. The benefit to customers in retaining you for multiple projects is that they learn to expect certain things. Your responsibility is to remain consistent in your business practices and project quality. If you promise them a band, deliver the band, complete with uniforms.
Build standard practices and quality controls and stick to them in all of your projects.
3. Quality
Customers come back when the quality exceeds their expectations. Keep your skills up to date, so you can provide the best service imaginable. Make sure your products are exceptional, and the customers will never leave you.
Be the best at what you do. If you need to improve your skills, get the training to do so. Quality matters.
4. Value
The flip side of having the best quality product or service available is that you offer it at a great value. Be fair in your pricing and your customers will return for more. Value is in the eye of the beholder; so don’t mistake “value” for “cheap.” Value means you provide great service and product at a fair a reasonable price. “Cheep” is what baby chicks do.
Make sure your customers get great value for their purchase. When possible go above the scope of the project to demonstrate your desire to be the best value possible.
5. Relationship
The best determiner of a repeat customer is how strong your relationship is with them. Be careful, building a strong professional relationship is a fine dance between entertaining the personal aspects of your customers while maintaining your business poise. Writing your room number on a cocktail napkin at a sales conference is not the kind of “professional relationship” we’re talking about here. Take the time to build a lasting relationship with your customers, and when needed they will forgive you almost anything.
Take the time to build a relationship with your customers. it will keep them coming back for more every time.
Five Things To Do Today To Get Repeat Business
1.Make it a common practice to communicate on a regular basis with your customers. If you are working a project with them, communicate at least every two days. If you are not working on a current project with them, make sure at least once every two weeks you send them a quick message. Maybe send them a link to a cool website.
2.Build standard practices and quality controls and stick to them in all of your projects.
3.Be the best at what you do. If you need to improve your skills, get the training to do so. Quality matters.
4.Make sure your customers get great value for their purchase. When possible go above the scope of the project to demonstrate your desire to be the best value possible.
5.Take the time to build a relationship with your customers. It will keep them coming back for more every time.