Grow your business by learning how to keep your loyal
customers.
Did you know that most small businesses
lose their customers within three years? In addition, census data indicate that
only 69% of new businesses survive during the first two years while roughly 50%
of all new small businesses survive for at least five years. Do these figures frighten
you? Well, they shouldn’t. You can surely do something to beat the odds.
So, how do you keep your customers from
leaving? Here are some tips that you may find useful.
Attract
their attention. To build a solid customer base,
you need to create a strong relationship with your customers and make them
listen to what you want to say. Stand for something, build
your brand and deliver a message that they can personally relate to. You
can also utilize positive social proof to attract their attention.
Let
them enjoy the selling process. You can increase
your customer base by using the right words in the selling process. Studies
show that using the words “new”, “free” and
“instantly” work like magic. In addition, you can effectively sell to
conservative buyers by using reassuring words, bundling products, reframing the
product’s value and highlighting its life expectancy.
Be
consistent. Keep in mind that consistency is the key
to keeping your loyal customers. Have a process and follow it to the letter.
Be
visible. Studies show that small businesses lose
about 10% of their influence for every month that they fail to communicate with
their customers. Don’t let your customers forget you. Communicate with them on
a regular basis but don’t annoy them by sending another sales pitch. Give them
something of value and you will surely appreciate the results of all your
efforts.?
Provide
great customer service. You can engage your
customers better by providing excellent customer service and by spending a
little more time with them. Don’t ignore your customers or make them feel
rushed or you will lose them over to the competition. You should also choose
the channel (email, online chat, etc.) that works best for your business.
Listen
to what they want to say. People are talking about
your brand online so you need to know what they are saying about you and
respond or take action whenever necessary.
Give
something back. Go above and beyond for your
customer and they will surely come back for more. Providing personalized
service and extending small gestures, especially those that come with an
element of surprise, can create customer loyalty and improve your bottomline.
You should also consider creating a customer
loyalty program to encourage more repeat business.
Remember, you can beat the odds and get
your business going by creating a loyal customer base so follow these tips and
you will be surely thrilled with the results.
