Don’t make creating loyal customers complex. Stick to the basics.
No matter what business you’re trying your hand at, the simple fact of the matter is that you can’t do it without loyal customers. Getting customers is one thing, but being able to keep them and keep them working with you is another.
Creating loyal customers shouldn’t be hard or expensive. You can do it with great customer service. These 3 keys to creating loyal customers will get you started.
1. Loyal customers want to know you care about them after the sale.
Key: Reach out to existing customers. Market to your customer base. Develop them into loyal customers.
Businesses spend loads and loads of money trying to attract new customers and pay very little attention to the ones they already have. Existing customers are your base, don’t ever forget them. Always focus on these existing customers, they’re your future loyal customers. Just because they’ve already purchased doesn’t mean they won’t buy again.
Customers don’t just typically buy once. If you’ve taken care of them, they’ll be more likely to remain loyal customers and buy from you again and again. Customers talk. Happy customers say good things (and become loyal customers). Upset customers say bad things (and don’t come back again). What do you want being said about you?
For example, bank Web sites are a source of frustration for many bank customers. Why? Because most bank Web sites do a poor job at really helping their existing customers. Bank Web sites contain a barrage of advertising and offers for services but do an extremely poor job at actually providing good, quality, useful information to help existing customers GET THINGS DONE. Pablo Villalba, an entrepreneur points out how bad bank Web sites are:
Banks assume you’re already a customer and need to use their online banking site, no matter how bad it is. It’s much better than a trip to your local branch, right? There’s no incentive to improve the core features, so instead they try to sell you more of their products.
Don’t follow the big banks. Are you in love with your bank’s Web site and service? Probably not. That’s because most of what you see isn’t focused to your needs. Developing loyal customers is very important in order to keep your business above the water. It’s what will stand you aside from all the other businesses that offer the same services as you. You are able to do this by making sure that you stick to the below values when conducting business transactions;
2. Loyal customers want to know they’re heard.
Key: Communicate. Communicate. Communicate some more. Then, communicate again.
Make sure to keep on top of communication. Not communicating and not being available to communicate, is one of the biggest source of frustration to customers. Communication is key to making your customers feel valuable. You can’t get loyal customers without communication. The more quickly customers hear back from you, the more respected and comfortable they feel that you are capable of serving them correctly. The more valued customers feel, the better the chance they become loyal customers.
Send out greetings. Do something random. Make them feel unique. Customers are human too, so when it comes to New Years, Christmas, Easter, or even a random holiday, pick out some of your customers (BIG and SMALL) and make sure to send out a HAND-WRITTEN postcard. If the card is just generic with no written message or just a printed message, you might as well not send it. If it’s not personal, then you’re missing the chance to make the customer feel special. Loyal customers are loyal because they know they’re special to you.
Don’t be afraid to invest money to make money. Every once in a while think of a promotion to make for your customers. Offer a 10% discount as freebie if they order over a certain amount. You will be surprised just how well this works in creating new sales. Loyal customers love special deals just for them.
3. Loyal customers want to feel like they’re special to you.
Key: Remember that the customer is not always right. But they are always the customer.
If there’s one thing I can’t stand is the “customer is always right” motto. It’s false. It’s wrong. The customer is wrong A LOT. But that’s ok, because wrong customers buy too. Wrong customers spend money. Wrong customers need services. Remember that the customer is not always right, but they’re ALWAYS a valuable customers. Knowing this and making sure your customers know you value them, will help create loyal customers. Loyal customers are sometimes right, and sometimes wrong; We need them either way.
Loyal customers are those who know and feel valued by their service provider. Loyal customers know that they aren’t just a sale, not just a $ amount, or just an account number to their service provider. Loyal customers have a name, and you’ll have to know it if you want to keep customers loyal. Make sure that they know that you have their best interests at heart and that you are not a shoddy cowboy posing to earn a few quick dollars.
Smile, bite your tongue often, and no matter what, make your customers feel special! Your business depends on it. Creating loyal customers isn’t expensive, it just takes special attention to what customers’ real wants and needs.
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