How to Create Customers for Life: 9 Powerful Strategies for Increasing Loyalty, Revenue, and Referrals
When it comes to running your small business, what's the one single thing you can do today to turn it into a money-making machine?
This principle is what A-level This principle is what A-level marketing guru Dan Kennedy refers to as "a neglected, golden opportunity...”
….What copywriter and sales strategist John Forde calls the key to “making sales without even trying…”
…What legendary marketer Jay Abraham declares the way to "create more wealth...than any other single business action known!"
But be forewarned.
What I’m about to share with you is NOT rocket science. In fact, you’ve probably heard it dozens—even hundreds—of times before.
That doesn’t make it any less crucial to your success.
What I’m talking about is ongoing, systematic internal marketing.
Because when it comes to business-building, NOTHING is more powerful than building strong, lasting relationships with your customers. And when applied correctly, NOTHING will bring you more positive results both immediately and over the long-haul than effective, ongoing marketing systems directed at your existing clientele.
Your customers are the lifeblood of your business. Without them, all your so-called "assets"--your equipment, products, staff, and office space--become nothing more than liabilities, sucking profits from your coffers like a pimped-out vacuum in overdrive.
And the singlemost effective way to build your business is by retaining the clients you already have.
For example, did you know that it's about 10 times less expensive to get an existing customer to return than it is to "buy" a new customer through traditional advertising?
And of course, you can't get referrals from people who aren't your customers yet.
In fact, this principle is so powerful that a study in Harvard Business Review found that a mere 5% improvement in customer retention can cause an increase in profitability between 25%-85%!
Is it any wonder, then, that the wealthiest, savviest marketers and business owners in the world preach this principle as the fundamental key to building wealth in any enterprise?
So let me ask you: how solid are YOUR internal marketing systems?
You may think you’re doing pretty well with internal marketing—and I hope you are! It's called creating Customers for Life, and here’s a quick questionnaire to find out if you’re delivering over-the-top service to build relationships of trust and get them back in the door over and over…
1. Are you asking for referrals from EVERY customer--systematically?
2. Are you contacting new clients after their first purchase--just to thank them for their business?
3. Are you sending announcements and newsletters in the mail or via email AT LEAST once a month?
4. Do you send greeting cards to every customer on their birthday?
5. Do you invite inactive customers to return at least twice a year?
6. Do you consistently remind customers about sales and special promotions?
7. Do you promote special in-house events like parties, lectures, and referral opportunities at least once a quarter?
8. Are you sending promotional postcards to your list every other month or so?
9. Are you dropping customers a personal note at least once a year just to keep in touch?
If you answered “no” to even a couple of these questions, your internal marketing has room for improvement. So take some time to think about which of the above strategies you can implement in your business TODAY. Your customers, and your bottom line, will thank you for it.
Katie Langston is a marketing consultant and founder of Lifetime Marketing Advisor, a unique resource helping businesses increase referrals, revenue, and loyalty by building Customers for Life. Visit http://www.LifetimeMarketingAdvisor.com for your FREE mini-course, "How to Create High Paying Customers, Clients, and Patients."
