Increase Customer Frequency
Repeat business is the key to ultimate long term success in any
business.
Your goal as entrepreneur or business owner is to turn every
first time customer into a life-long customer. However, in order
to maximize the value of that customer, you need to encourage
regular purchases on an on-going basis.
Encourage customers to come back frequently with special sales,
events, frequent-buyer programs, credits towards gifts, unique
offers or reminders.
In order to make this strategy work best, you need to buy aware
of your customers preferences, buying patterns and styles. It's
very different between industries as well as individual
customers. A window contractor might only buy regular supplies
once every 4 months. So if you're supplying this outfit with
screws, caulking, glazing tape, and the like, you'd better be
aware of their buying habits, or else you'll be wasting your
efforts and probably annoying them at the same time, by not
being aware of their preferances.
Keys To Success
Constant communication is vital. You want to establish a
relationship and to do that you need continuous contact. Keeping
in touch with your customers on a regular basis helps them
remember the benefits they get from doing business with you.
Whenever you're holding a special sale or event of any kind, be
sure to inform all customers and prospects on your list.
You may have to notify them more than once to get them to show
up. Keep your clientele informed about new stock arrivals,
upcoming sales, what's hot and what's not, special guest
appearances, seminars, expansion plans, new store openings, etc.
Enticing offers are critical to response. Even the best
customers won't show up repeatedly if there's not something new
or unique or special for them. Make it interesting, inviting and
difficult to ignore.
Examples
To renew the buying relationship on a frequent basis, determine
the best means of connecting with your customers. A wholesale
foods supplier serving cafeterias, lunch counters and
restaurants, should be marketing on a weekly (or daily) basis,
featuring limited-time specials at reduced prices.
A computer retailer on the other hand, wouldn't want to contact
customers every week. Perhaps a quarterly newsletter would work
better in that scenario.
Holding a special event? Try sending invitations out to your
customer list. If you hold several sales or special events
throughout the year, create a calendar of special events that
you can send to give customers advanced notice of those
important dates.
The air miles program has become very successful at increasing
customers buying frequency patterns and developing loyalty. The
lure of getting a free trip to some exotic destination is enough
to generate tons of excitement and increase the number of
purchases.
Coffee Time Donuts offer another way to get you coming back to
enjoy their brand of coffee. When you buy a coffee, they give
you a club card that you present with each visit. After buying
10 coffees, you get one free. Then, you start on another card.
It's using credits to build repetitive purchases.
How?
Building a database and developing ways to keep in touch with
customers and prospects is a good place to start. Then figure
out some enticing deals you can create and a way to communicate
the value of these deals to those most likely to be interested.
More resources at www.makeyoursalessoar.com