 Whilst it is common knowledge and should be the goal of any business to grow and acquire more clients, as they truly say in the business world, it is more cost effective and easier to retain your current clients than to acquire new ones. However, with the stiff competition businesses face today and to help you compete effectively in getting more customers and keeping your existing ones, I’ll be focusing on five tips (not a magic wand) to help you achieve this. 1. After Service. Too many businesses are too busy looking for more clients to find time to look after their current clients who could, with the extra mile, quickly become their loyal customers. For example, if you gave great service to a client and that client loses your contacts, would it be easy for the client to find you again? How about if you sent the client complimentary, special offers, reminders or even a thank you for using our service. This would help keep you more printed in the client’s mind rather than them searching online and getting sidetracked by other competitors and offers. Clients too would rather stick with the same service provider if they were happy with them. 2. Keep it personal. Everyone...well almost everyone, likes to feel treated like a person and not just a number. Where possible include a handwritten ‘Thank you’ note where applicable. Build a rapport with your clients so they easily remember you. At the same time, know the boundaries so you don’t appear unprofessional or off-putting. There’s nothing wrong in asking for recommendations. That way you are also adding to your old clients. And always give your first name after your company name. 3. “Know what your customers want most and what your company does best. Focus on where those two meet.” — Kevin Stirtz, Author, More Loyal Customers. Basically, your target audience and business objective combined are the foundation of your business. The two therefore have to be aligned and in order for the two to stay aligned, you need to know your target market well and what your business has to offer to best meet their needs. According to one study, a 5% growth in customer loyalty can result in a growth in profits from 25% to 95%. 4. Digital marketing. Like it or not, you really cannot avoid digital marketing to retain and acquire new clients. Engage with clients as much as possible to build a business community by engaging with your potential clients, knowing about them and their likes etc. From there you have more insights to what their expectations are, staying connected and in their minds. The true customer nowadays wants to feel connected and cared about. Don’t be a business that disengages as soon as the service is delivered. Keep yourself updated on the trends of your industry and what your competitors are up to, to stay on top. 5. Customer Service is the bottom line to a business “Excellent customer service is the number one job in any company! It is the personality of the company and the reason customers come back. Without customers there is no company!” - Connie Elder, Founder, PEAK 10 SKIN. Whatever shape or form your clients come in, they are your number one priority and all businesses need and should thrive for repeat clients. To add to that; the Southwest Airlines theory that, ‘how you treat your employees is how they will treat your customers’ sums up the customer service requirement. Make them your customer evangelists. Happy employees also make happy customers! A business cannot survive without both. If any of the above points resonate with you or you just want advice or to share or offload any issues related to your business however small (or you may be thinking of starting a business), please feel free to contact us to talk to an experienced and professional Business Consultant at RBSS on 0333 355 1696 or email us at [email protected]. If you need any help with a business startup loan, business valuation and performance health check or business plans & growth strategies, contact us. If you are based around the London or Essex areas, you may want to pop into our office which is based in Romford, Essex for a one-to-one complimentary chat. Business Advice Romford | Business Advice Hornchurch | Business Advice Upminster | Business Advice Brentwood | Business Advice Barking | Business Advice Dagenham | Business Advice Ilford | Business Advice Stratford | Business Advice London
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