Keep Your Customers Coming Back
Repeat business is the cornerstone of any business. It is very difficult to build a successful business without repeat customers. It is not impossible. Some divorce firms are very successful with virtually no repeat business. However, the fact remains, that the most expensive activity in any business is customer acquisition. The cost of marketing and a sales team is high. Even a sole trader will spend a considerable amount of time finding new customers and clients. Existing customers are the easiest people to sell to again, so you must keep them coming back. ## What keeps people coming back? There are several factors but most of them boil down to just two points: 1. Your customer gets the results they expected 2. They have a good on-going relationship with you The first is vital. If they are disappointed, then they won’t return and they will tell others about the experience. This is why it is essential that you under-promise and over-deliver. There are too many companies who do it the other way around. It is important to note that part of this is managing their expectations. It is important that your prospect has realistic expectations. You would be surprised how many people out there want to pay for a Mini and be given a Rolls-Royce. If your prospect keeps on insisting that you deliver a Rolls for the price of a Mini, then you don't want them as a client. They will cause far more trouble than they are worth. The best thing is to refer them to another supplier. You must only engage customers and clients that you know you can delight. These people not only become repeat customers, they also refer you to other people which reduces your cost of customer acquisition further. The best way to delight customers is to give them something above and beyond their expectations. This is not giving them a discount or a 2 for 1. This is just giving them something they didn’t expect. A handwritten thank you for the business note along with a small gift, such as a bottle of their favourite wine, will delight many customers. Note: ***it is not the value of the gift itself, it’s the thoughtfulness which counts**. If you find out what their favourite tipple, cheese, chocolate etc. is and send them this then it doesn’t matter if it only cost £5, £10 or £20. It can also lead to some great referrals so is very worthwhile doing.* ### The second point, a good on-going relationship, comes under customer retention. The biggest reason clients go to another supplier is simply because they have forgotten about you. Only 19% move because they can get it cheaper elsewhere. It is important that you keep in touch with your customers and, more importantly, only very occasionally be selling to them. There are various ways to stay in touch including: * **Newsletters**- both printed and e-newsletters remind clients that you are there and add value. * **Cards** are a great way to stay in touch. This could be a Christmas card, birthday card, Thinking of You card, a postcard etc. Anything handwritten works really well, especially ones they don’t expect. * **Social invitations** - ask them out for lunch or to a sports match. * **Send them a book or magazine** that you think they will find interesting * **Mention them on social media, comment on their posts etc**- simple but effective It is worth adding customer retention points to your CRM. You should be looking to make a personal connection at least every 90 days whether this is a card, invite, book or simply a phone call to see how they are doing. This is also likely to greatly increase the number of referrals you receive. **[Why not be pleasantly surprised and discover the Naylor difference by getting in touch today?](https://www.nayloraccountancy.com/contact)**.
