Let’s face it: If your customer base walked away from you today, your doors would have to shut tomorrow. And as much as you make the day to day decisions about your company, it is your clients that call the real shots as they hold the power. So, you need to make them as happy with you as possible if you want to keep them coming back for more. What are some ways that you can do that?
Here are four ideologies that other successful businesses use to turn one-time paying customers in lifelong, loyal clientele:
It’s All About Them
In the end, it doesn’t matter what you can do or how great you are, the one thing the customer has on their mind when they approach your business is how you can make their life easier or better. Beyond that, everything else is just icing on the cake.
That is why it is so important to know as much about your target market as you can. When you can get into their mind and learn what worries them, what motivates them, and what inspires them to make a purchase, you then know how to create a business that makes them want to return.
If you don’t know what makes your clients tick, ask them. Engage in conversations with them and delve into what they’re looking for. Discover what problems plague them and make your company the answer to those problems. That will make you the knight in white armor that they seek to find when they need help in the future.
Leave Them with Good Feelings
There is an old business adage that “the client is always right.” Now, we all know that this isn’t really the case because we are the experts in our field, but if you make the people using your products or service feel wrong then you’ve likely lost them. Perhaps Maya Angelou put it best when she said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
For instance, just a few months ago I bought a new desk. This was HUGE to me because I’ve been working with my computer either on the kitchen table or, more recently, on my sister’s card table. I had finally saved up the money to buy the exact desk that I wanted and I was excited. That is, until it arrived…
The top two pieces of the desk were cracked, as in almost busted in half. I mean, out of all of the pieces that were there, it had to be the only two pieces that were the most important. The only two pieces you couldn’t hide.
My spirits were immediately lowered as I contemplated the fact that I would have to wait even longer to have the one and only thing I wanted. I mentally prepared myself for the hoops that I was sure I would have to jump through in order to get it replaced.
I expected to have to provide photographic evidence that the desk was busted when it arrived. I knew I would be forced to repackage the whole thing (all 200 pounds of it) and ship it back to them. I was already imagining the pain of it all and I hadn’t even picked up the phone to call them yet.
Imagine my surprise, then, when the representative told me that I didn’t need to do any of that and they would just ship me the two new pieces priority so I would have them in a day or two. Really? It was going to be that easy? Even though the situation started out rather unfortunate, this company has gained a customer for life for the way they handled everything.
So, think about that when you are doing business. Are you leaving your customers with a feeling that makes them want to come back for more?
Become Unforgettable
Out of sight typically means out of mind. Therefore, you have to find a way to keep yourself in the forefront of your customer’s mind if you want them to remember you when they need your services or product the next time around. How do you do this?
You make yourself memorable. You find a way to become a household name in the area or areas that you service and you become someone that everyone recognizes. You want to be the first name that pops into their head when they are considering who to call.
Some people do this by having crazy television ads and others do it by plastering their face all over billboards or signs. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to how to become unforgettable, so you’re going to have to pick a way that works for you so that you stand out against your competitors.
Tell Them to Come Back
This is so simple, yet so often neglected when it comes to keeping customers coming back in the door. You need to remember to give them a call to action to use your products or services again or they may not.
For instance, when someone is in your physical location, make your last statement to them, “Come back again,” or “Call if you need anything.” If your contact is via email, always end with some sort of phrase that tells them to contact you or suggest that they refer you to their friends.
It may not seem like a big thing, but it can make a world of difference for your business success. If your clients trust you, they will do what you tell them to do. Therefore, when you don’t tell them what to do, they will do nothing.
Operate your business in a way that does these four things and you’ll keep the customers you have coming back again and again. In fact, they may just bring their family and friends with them, so you may want to consider widening your door!
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