Speaking from experience, I’ve found out that most business owners tend to be quite obsessed with going after new customers to expand their market. While it’s not by itself a bad concept, we must realise that finding new customers isn’t the singular key to growing a business. What matters — more importantly, I should add — is to keep your current clients happy and engaged with your business.
There’s a lot you can do to take care of your existing clientele instead of racking your brain trying to come up with clever ideas for marketing. Believe it or not, in terms of income, acquiring new customers is not as efficient as focusing on customers that you already have. It’s your best and least-expensive means for business growth.
If you choose to spend to attract more customers, it’s a hit or miss; whereas, if you invest more on people who are already supporting your business, the returns are significantly bigger.
So, what are the things you can do to take care of your current customers?
Listen to them and know what exactly they need
Don’t get caught up with formulating gags to please people who aren’t even your customers yet. Let your marketing do that for you. As a business owner, your focus must be on connecting with current clients and making sure you’re fully aware of their needs and what keeps them happy.
When doing customer service, always go the extra mile
Just because they’re already your clients doesn’t mean your efforts to serve them have diminished. You still need to constantly woo your clients and go beyond what is expected to establish long-lasting relationships that will actually bring more money to your business.
Discuss expectations and establish goals
Communication is the foundation for good client management. If you want to build retention, make sure you and your clients are on the same page in terms of goals and delivery expectations. When things don’t go as planned, make sure your clients are updated. Be honest and transparent; don’t keep your clients in the dark.
Leverage testimonials and referrals
Let your current clients do the marketing for you. Bank on good relationships and success stories to spread the word about how you run your business and how you relate with clients. A good word of mouth goes a long way, and there’s no more powerful marketing pull than business people talking to each other.
Reward loyalty
Make sure you’re letting your clients know that you appreciate their business. Give them something unexpected but valuable; let them feel important and treasured. If doing business together has done great things for both parties, everybody’s a winner. Their growth is also your growth.
Instead of planting new seeds and spending on making sure they grow, pay attention to those that have already flourished.
