The number one reason why most business owners fail to keep in touch with current and past customers is that they don’t want to appear to be a pest.
Staying in contact with existing customers is crucial for building ongoing relationships and making sure they keep buying from you. But that line between “just calling to get an order” and “truly calling to see if they have everything they need” can feel pretty thin.
The Solution: Bring Genuine Value
You have to honestly bring added value to your existing customers. Give them something they won’t get from another source or wouldn’t have found by themselves.
Here are 5 ways to do exactly that:
- Share a success story. Think about what your other customers are doing that’s working well, then share that insight. People love hearing what’s working for others in a similar position.
- Share useful content. Find an article, resource or upcoming event related to your industry and send it to your customers. Follow up with a call to discuss it.
- Run a “How can I improve?” survey. Not only does this give you valuable feedback, it shows your customers you care about getting better for them.
- Just ask how they’re doing. Call your customers and ask if there’s anything they need help with. You’ll be surprised by their answers. Ask how business is and genuinely listen.
- Start a newsletter. Write a brief, helpful email about your industry. Include useful tips, articles or news. Send it regularly and you’ll become the first person they think of when they’re ready to buy.
Although these ideas seem simple, I guarantee that 80% of your competition aren’t doing any of them.
Separate yourself from them by learning to genuinely help your customers – and soon you’ll learn what the top 20% already know: people buy from people they know, like and trust.