But first: 3 Reasons why repeat customers are important
More money. Customers are more likely to spend more money at businesses they feel they can trust and rely on.
Repeat customers are easier to sell new products and services to as well. Given that they already trust your brand, it is much easier to sell them on new products and services you are offering.
New customers are expensive. Studies have shown that it costs five times more to acquire a new customer than it does to keep an existing one, and it costs 16 times more to bring new customers to the level of spending of your current ones.
7 Easy things you can start doing today:
1. Stay in touch
With everything that’s going on, devote resources to continuing to build the relationship after the sale instead of merely setting your sights on the next transaction. Acquiring new customers is always harder than earning repeat business.
2. Assume they won’t remember you.
A customer may have hired you once, but that doesn’t guarantee they will think of you the next time they need the services you offer. You are competing for their attention amidst a million other distractions every day, especially in the current climate. If you haven’t heard from past customers in a while, reach out in a personal way. It’ll help you stand out from the crowd.
3. Make it easy for customers to reach you
Don’t send them through a lengthy chain of menu options or forms before they are able to get a person on the line. Make a point of making it easy to do business with you.
If you’d like to see how good your website is for this, use this free tool.
4. Surprise them
When someone does something above and beyond our expectations, we leave feeling delighted and excited, and will likely tell others. Reward your customers for their business with unexpected bonuses or gifts just for choosing you. This is a powerful way to build goodwill and positive reinforcement.
5. Be a member of the community
In the age of almost total transparency, the best business model is to do good. Whether it’s donating a portion of every sale to a non-profit or hosting a collection for the local food bank, choose an activity that lets customers help with a good deed. They will feel good about doing business with you. Remember, people remember how you make them feel over anything else.
6. Show your appreciation
Express your gratitude with something as simple as a heartfelt thank you when doing business in person (not just a “you’re welcome” if they thank you first). Take it a step further by sending a thank you note or a special reward for a referral. Building strong relationships takes time, but the payoff is worth the energy.
7. Give out future-use coupons.
A lot of customers come to a particular store looking for one item. If they find that item, they purchase it and then don’t have much of a reason to return. You can capture these people and encourage repeat business by offering them future-use coupons.
For example, for every $50 purchase in your store, you could offer a coupon for 10% off that can be applied to a future purchase. This gives them a reason to return when they otherwise might not have had one.
Credits and inspiration from: Dianne Gotzman, Inc.com, Business.com