Building customer
loyalty is one of the most important things for any business. Marketing
research has shown that the cost for finding and attracting a new customer or
client is about six times more than the cost to keep an existing one.
Well technically, all your current customers are some other
company's potential customers. That is why it is essential to have customer
loyalty strategies put in place.
Here are ten effective things you can do to hang on to your
current customers;
- Take a
long-term view of your business: Keep in mind the "life time
value" of your customers. Remember that a lost customer can mean
thousands, even millions of naira in future sales. Research shows every upset
customer will tell eleven other people about their experience with your
business and those eleven will tell five more people.
- Keep your
promises: If you really give customers a great experience, they will
tell their friends and they’re much more likely to come back to you. So always
deliver on all your promises.
- Be Courteous: Be polite to all your customers, even the ones who are not polite to you. Simple courtesy can go a long way to keep your customers and clients returning to your business. Please and thank you are remarkable words for developing rapport and building customer loyalty.
- Under-promise,
over deliver: Asides delivering on your promises to customers, you
should always be looking for ways to add more value to your products and services
without increasing the cost. Give your customers more than they expect. If you
tell them their order will be ready in two weeks, complete it in one week, you
can also include a gift in your invoice. Always try to under promise and over
deliver.
- Constantly
update your business: Are you up-to-date in how you run your
business? Many assumptions a customer make about a business have to do with
first impressions. Those first impressions can be based on advertising, a
physical building, a website, a company's inventory, and even the look and
dress of the employees. Right or wrong people make assumptions. Some customers
feel that if a business isn’t current on their website, why would the business
be current. Newer, better, and faster are all part of your customer's
vocabulary. Customers get disappointed when they find out there was a newer
version of something and you don't have it!
- Keep your customers Informed: No matter how hard we try, once in a while, we'll get a customer who has a complaint or a problem. Don't make excuses or place blame. Fix the problem promptly and tell your customers what you have done to solve their problem.
- Communicate regularly with your current customers: It's been proven over and over again that staying in touch with your current customers is one of the best ways to encourage them to keep coming back to your business. Send them information about upcoming sales, new products, special promotions. Provide them with educational and informative information.
- Make your customers or clients feel special: We all love it when people in our lives make us feel special. Your customers are no different. They want to feel like their business is valued and appreciated. Sincerely listening to their needs and desires can help you achieve this. Get to know your customers as people, not just a means to build your bank account.
- Don’t be complacent: Review your service continually by emailing or phoning a selection of customers after delivery, to check they are satisfied. If not, you can resolve any problems. And as well as providing valuable feedback on your products and services, contacting customers again gives you a legitimate chance to tell them about your other products or services, perhaps any special offers.
- Reward customers: Rewarding customers for their loyalty and giving customers something tangible gives them a real reason to always come back. Incentives could include add-ons, vouchers, loyalty discounts, special pricing and bonuses and gifts for ordering through a website.
If you are thinking of advertising in Nigeria, please contact PoiseMedia
Communications at www.poisemedianigeria.com or check our
contact at the bottom of this blog. We can help you identify your market and
reach them. We apply both BTL and ATL strategies to project our clients’ brands
to the right audience. We can do same for you at very affordable price.
Lilian Izuorah
Business Development Officer
PoiseMedia Communications Ltd
