You've probably heard of the rule that it is more important /cheap/ to keep your current customers than to attract more and more new ones?
The search for new customers is more expensive, requires more efforts and sometimes is not crowned with very good results.
On the other hand, when you already have a range of clients, you have their contacts and they have tested your product, it is much easier to keep in touch with them, to inform them about new products and promotions.
A man who once bought a certain product is much more likely to purchase it again or try another product of the same brand.
Of course, this does not mean that you shouldn’t be looking for new customers.
Both activities must be carried out in parallel, as some of the methods below are applicable to attract new customers, as well.
However, the focus should always remain on the customers? who already trust you and have left you their money.
The potential for their return is considerable, as long as you play your cards well and prove them that each of your products is worth the money and time spent.
The techniques I have selected are applicable for both kinds of products – those just entering the market and those already established.
Every entrepreneur or experienced manager is free to use and interpret them according to the nature of their business.
Before I begin with concrete practices I must emphasize that each step you take to attract customers must come from your desire to meet needs and provide the best you have at your disposal.
This is a major rule, without which no method does any job.
Your sincere and genuine attitude towards a potential client shows up and they'll trust you more easily if they feel that you value their opinion, time and money.
See your customers as your partners , study their preferences, interests , tastes, needs and strive to offer them what will do the best job for them.
Do not foist your product to everyone, do not exaggerate its features and do not try to instill in someone that they need your product, if you are aware it is not true.
If someone got deceived and bought your product without a real need for it or found out that it does not meet their needs as you promised them, they would not only never return to you, but would reveal to their friends and relatives their discontent .
An important rule: Respect your potential customers and assess what they need in order to know exactly how to satisfy their needs in a profitable way for both sides.
So let’s come to the point ...
4 techniques for attracting loyal customers and more sales
Exceed your customer’s expectations .
Not only should you give your customer exactly what you promised, but you also have to surprise and impress them with something like a bonus prize.
For example, if your client orders something online and they ought to get it by a courier, send the product with a little bonus prize without a warning.
This makes exceptionally good impression, especially if it is accompanied by a card saying "With compliments from us " or "Accept this gift as our thanks for trusting us and for choosing our product ."
This is applicable to any kind of business.
You can give small gifts to every new customer or to those with the largest orders .
You choose the pattern according to the specifics of the product you offer, but do it always unexpectedly together with a thank you note that will remind the customer of your gesture.
Perfect after-sales service
For many products, such as cars, home appliances , etc. aftermarket service is a factor that can tip the scales when making a purchasing decision .
Always offer good warranty conditions, high quality after-sales service and help your clients when they need you to.
Even if the problem with those goods sold by you is not your fault, never give up on the customer and try to help them , give them advice, suggest a decision.
Good customers would appreciate it and would come back to you.
You would believe in the power of this recommendation, if you placed yourself on side of the client.
Surprise your loyal clients in a nice way
If a customer has purchased one of your products more than twice, this does not make them directly loyal to your brand and doesn’t give you any guarantee that they would always return to you.
You should continue working for keeping them , and not take them for granted.
Send an unexpected gift to a loyal client to remind them of yourself, at least a month (or more) after their last purchase. Or give them an unexpected discount on their next purchase.
These gestures say "We appreciate very much your money and your loyalty to our brand ."
Again, put yourself in the place of the customer.
Surely, if you received an unexpected gift from your provider, you would feel more special, in some cases this gift may satisfy some of your needs.
At least when you have to buy a product and choose a provider, racking your brains for potential ones, that gesture will come to your mind and most likely this will be the first place to go supply yourself with the necessary product.
Be innovative
This sentence has become such a cliché that I feel how as soon as you read it, you roll your eyes with boredom, but it is something we should not forget in a killing competition (except in cases where your business is innovative enough not to have an analog on the market).
Being innovative means not to just comply with written and unwritten rules for attracting customers, but create rules of your own.
Be real managers-discoverers, think, research, test, implement things if you thought of them as promising and do not worry to be perceived as stupid.
The most important rule is to make your customers happy.
Afford a little higher expenditure for attracting promising potential customers because if you play your cards well and they return to you , you will have a guaranteed long-term income.
I don’t want to sound like I have no grounds so here's an example of businesses that have their own pages on social networks !
As one of the greatest advantages of social networks is the contact with users, this is where you can experiment and ask for their feedback all the time.
If you are new on the market and still attract customers, you could apply periodically the following practices :
Once in every 2-3 weeks post pictures of your products or series in different colors or anything else about which you need the opinion of potential users - for example, what shape would be more preferable, what material, what size, color, etc.
Depending on the number of fans of your webpage you will generate a certain number of comments with people’s views. At the end of the day, choose by lottery one from those who made a comment to receive the product they liked .
On the next day, post a message on your wall thanking all those who spent some of their time to comment your products and note that you chose by lottery a person named “X”, who will receive the version of the product they indicated they liked the most.
The effects of this approach should not be underestimated:
The chosen person remains pleasantly surprised and becomes very inclined, having received their gift, to take a shot with it, to post the picture and mention the name of your product on their wall letting all their online and offline friends know how awesome you are, etc. .
Give a chance to people who haven’t used your product to test it and attract potential future customers.
The rest of your fans also see this and when your future publications of the kind asking "Give us your opinion" follow they are more likely to spend a moment for a comment because you secretly hope that they might win something.
I hope some of these methods will inspire you to apply it successfully in your business. Share in the comments below some of your know-how from your own experience or how you could apply the four mentioned in your business.
And remember - treat customers as your partners, be sincere and make kind gestures to them in order to create a strong emotional connection between them and your product. Only this way you will be sure to have long-term and loyal customers.
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