| Customer loyalty is no longer optional. In many | | | | that the average 12 to 13 year old can understand. |
| categories today, it's the only way to stay in business. | | | | Observing this simple rule can help your business keep |
| Studies have shown that it is a much more difficult and | | | | customers longer. |
| more expensive proposition to get a new customer to | | | | 6. Encourage interactivity and feedback |
| buy than to get a repeat purchase from a current | | | | Successful marketing that encourages customer |
| customer. So one of the smartest things a business | | | | loyalty is more like a "round table" meeting than a |
| owner can do is develop a system to extend the | | | | podium lecture". Actively invite your customers to |
| "purchasing lifetime" of a customer. | | | | suggest new products and services, improvements, |
| To avoid the obvious harm created by the typical | | | | and to make complaints. This will be some of the best |
| "hit-and-run marketing" approach, there are a few | | | | business intelligence you will ever get. Another simple |
| things a business can do to establish customer loyalty | | | | thing you can do is to scrap the "Do not reply" email |
| and extend the "purchasing lifetime". | | | | addresses if you use any. |
| 1. Personalize your marketing | | | | 7. Make your business modular for easy mass |
| People like people, but people barely tolerate | | | | customization |
| companies. One of the mistakes small businesses | | | | Some customers care more about the core offerings |
| continually make is to copy the kind of faceless (and | | | | you provide than how well you communicate with |
| often soulless) marketing communications implemented | | | | them. Develop add-on products and services, or |
| by big companies. In doing so, you can nullify one of | | | | partner with others to offer these add-ons. This allows |
| the principal advantages you have as a small | | | | you to combine various products and services to your |
| company - Human marketing. Emphasize face-to-face | | | | core package for greater variety and to offer more |
| meetings, digital video marketing, podcasts and story | | | | customized solutions to your customers. A second |
| selling - including relevant personal vignettes into your | | | | benefit of this approach is that such customized |
| marketing. | | | | solutions often allow you to charge premium prices. |
| 2. Provide a means of tracking their benefit or | | | | 8. Share your responsiveness With customers |
| progress | | | | Show customers how you respond to suggestions, |
| If you've ever mailed a parcel with UPS, you can | | | | criticism and feedback. Whenever you respond to the |
| attest to the value created when a service provider | | | | feedback of customers, make sure to spread the |
| gives a way for customers to track the progress of | | | | news of your responsiveness to your customers and |
| their transaction. This is part of a larger principle of | | | | even your larger marketplace. This is no time for false |
| creating value through feedback systems. | | | | modesty. The continued loyalty of your customers and |
| 3. Social proof | | | | your continued business success depends on how |
| Show and tell the success other customers are having | | | | much goodwill you capture when you make difficult |
| and use vivid benefit language, pictures and video to | | | | changes. |
| communicate that success. | | | | 9. Communicate an expectation of lifetime relationship |
| One of the most powerful ways to continuously | | | | Right from the start of your lead generation and lead |
| persuade your clients that they have made a good | | | | nurturing process, you can communicate the |
| choice in doing business with you is by showing them | | | | expectation of a lifetime relationship. This simple |
| the success other clients are having with your | | | | approach will make you stand out from the pack of |
| business. This reinforces whatever positive | | | | your competitors. Make sure that you create |
| experiences they have had with you, and convinces | | | | marketing materials designed to educate your clients |
| them to give you another chance if the relationship has | | | | as to the benefits of a long-term relationship with you. |
| been bumpy. | | | | Include case studies (if you have any) of clients or |
| 4. USP and brand reinforcement | | | | contacts who have benefited from staying connected |
| Continuously remind them of why they do business | | | | with you over months and years. |
| with you and why they should continue to do business | | | | 10. Develop a continuity program or product |
| with you. | | | | Every type of business can benefit from incorporating |
| The foundational element of any strategic marketing | | | | some sort of continuity income into the business model. |
| communications system is the USP or unique selling | | | | Manufacturers can license intellectual property to |
| proposition. The USP articulates a logical argument | | | | competitors in a continuity format, professional service |
| why someone in your marketplace should do business | | | | firms can "productize" their knowledge in paid monthly |
| with you above all other options. Smart business | | | | newsletters and membership programs and local |
| owners continually reinforce this USP argument directly | | | | retailers can affiliate with other businesses in such a |
| or indirectly in every communication with their client | | | | way that they get paid monthly from those |
| base. | | | | relationships. |
| 5. Use simple, benefit-oriented language | | | | Implementing any single one of the suggestions above |
| One of the regrettable habits small businesses often | | | | should help you keep a greater percentage of your |
| unwittingly pick up from their Fortune 1000 counterparts | | | | customers. Doing most or all of them will help you |
| is the habit of communicating in professional jargon or | | | | create a powerful marketing system that completely |
| "corporatese". In the world of direct marketing, it has | | | | differentiates your business and protects your profits |
| long been established that the best results often come | | | | for the long term. |
| from communicating with benefit-focused language | | | | |