How much does it cost you to run your business? Whatever that number is, that is the amount it costs you to create customers. So why would you want to be continually attempting to find new customers when they are so expensive. If you regularly communicate with your customers, it will save you money.
It make so much more business sense to nurture your current customers. After all, it’s easier getting someone who has already demonstrated that they know, like and trust you to buy from you again.
One really simple way of regular communication with your customers is via email, so building your email list in imperative.
Want to know how? Check out this blog – How to Use Email Marketing to Keep Your Customers Coming Back
The Value of Your Current Customers
- You have already paid for them
- It is 6 to 7 times more expensive to gain a new customer than it is to retain one
- Repeat customers tend to spend 67% more on subsequent purchases than they do on the first
- After 10 purchases / engagements a customer has already referred you to at least 7 people
Communicating with your customers on a regular basis is the surefire way of ensuring they remember you so that you are their supplier of choice when they choose to purchase again.
Practical Do’s and Don’ts for Ongoing Customer Communication
DO remember to ask for customer details – at the very least name and email address
DON’T just add people to a mailing list – ask permission, you could always offer an incentive
DO have a systematic way of dealing with contact details – if you have a system it is far less likely that you will ‘mislay’ a customer
DON’T have more than one mailing list – keep everyone in one place (an Excel spreadsheet is absolutely fine), you can always split the list into smaller groups for specific purposes
DON’T leave a pile of business cards on your desk with the intention of ‘one day’ doing something with them, do something or bin them!
DO keep in touch with your customers regularly and remind them about what you do and how you do it – don’t assume, just because you have said it a couple of times, that people remember what you do because until they need that ‘thing’ they will forget
Next Steps?
If you’re unsure about how to implement any of the suggestions I have made in this article, let’s talk. You can ask me lots of questions and we can find out if working together is an option for you.
It’s complimentary. What have you got to lose?