Growing your business means growing the number of people who buy from you (your customer base). The best way to grow your customer base to keep loyal and happy clients. Every business owner wants and needs loyal and happy clients. Below I’ve outlined several ways you can keep your current and new customers loyal for life.
1. Understand Them
Your clients want to know that you “get them.” If you show them that you understand their needs, problems and challenges, they will be loyal to you.
Clients and customers change all the time. Find ways to stay up-to-the-minute on their expectations and aspirations. If you know or have a sense of what their growth plans are, you are more likely to be included in those plans.
2. Include them
These days people want their voices to be heard. That’s why polls and surveys work so well. Also, advertising campaigns that offer prizes for customers to be included in some way are the most successful.
People will care when you share the reason why they should. You must learn creative ways to being the “human interest” angle to your story and find a way to make it relate to your target market. When you find ways to make the customer feel like a partner, they will act like one.
3. Educate Them
Teach them something they don’t know. The way you do this is by showcasing your experience and expertise
Customers value businesses that help them keep up with what the latest trends and industry news is. The customer will then turnaround and share that wisdom and give you the credit. If you are known for being “cutting edge” and giving people the inside scoop, trust me they will continue coming back for more updates over and over.
4. Service Them
Everybody loves great customer service. And it almost goes without saying the better your service, the better chance you have of retaining your customers. You must make it easy and effortless for them to do business with you.Period.
One way to make doing business effortless, is to have your customer service policies up front and easy to find. Secondy, be willing to please and courteous.
Another very important tip is to make sure doing business with your company is prompt and easy. Clients today are extremely time conscious—they and hatet waiting for anything. We live in a microwave society and people prefer, quick, super easy and hassle-free. If you can achieve the ultmate experience for your clients by making it convenient and rewarding, you definitely have a winner.
5. Delight Them
Find unique and simple ways to make customers know you care. You’ve heard the saying; “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”, well that applies here.
You’ve got to go out of your way to show your clients that you appreciate their business and they matter. It really is that simple.
My final thought is simply this:
Happy clients are loyal clients that represent long term value for your business. It’s to your advantage to keep your customers coming back again and again. Happy customers spend more money.
Now it’s your turn. Leave me a comment below and tell me what you’ve done to keep your clients/customers loyal and happy.
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Lori A. Manns is an award-winning, marketing, sales coach and business strategist who works with small business owners to help them elevate their brand, get more clients and grow revenue. Lori A. Manns is CEO of Quality Media Consultant Group and founder of the Trailblazer Business Academy™ where advancing entrepreneurs go to learn business growth strategies the soulful way. Lori is also the creator of Sponsorship Sales Secrets System;™ that shows you how to get more sponsors and sales for your business, guaranteed. To purchase consulting services on marketing, advertising or sales and, learn how to increase your revenue and grow your business; please visit the start here page on www.qualitymediaconsultants.com.
Good information Lori and it can’t be stated enough–that you really do have to work at keeping your clients happy to keep them. For me, being available is what works. Not 24/7, but discussed points of contact so that the client knows when they are able to get ahold of you and how, whether it is email, phone, skype or even on social media. Having an open conversation in the beginning means you don’t have to worry about misunderstandings later on.
Yes Carol I agree. It’s best to set expectations on the front end.
I love this!!! As of now, I am working on how to keep my current clients. I do provide them with answers to their fitness needs, but I am trying to stay on the cutting edge of the industry and I believe this takes time. I am planning on delighting my clients with some sort of discount on my other products, cannot wait to try this and see what happens! Great article.
Thanks Edge Fit. Glad the article helped you. Be careful with discounts as it leads to expectations of such in the future.