Finding and Keeping Customers

Repeat Sales to Existing Customers

Being able to make repeat sales to existing customers is less expensive than making the first sale to a new customer.

1. Ask for permission to keep information of your existing customers, and keep it up to date
2. Use facebook, Constant Contact, and other tools to stay in touch. Consider rewarding referrals and repeat sales
3. Offer related products and services, also known as affinity marketing

Finding New Customers

Customer profiles allow you to quantify what you are offering and to whom, and how you want them to hear about what you have to offer

1. Have a balanced and measured approach, don't just focus of one way/channel.
2. Track responses to learn from what works and does not work for each profile
3. Always have a "Tell me More" or other call to action to encourage customers to contact you

Print

When creating printed materials, look at reusing what you have created

1. Postcards work for direct mail, reply paid cards, inserts, as well as business cards. Have a design that will look good on the fridge.
2. Newspaper adverts also work for coupon books. Place your adverts in publications that you believe that your customers will be reading.
3. Adverts combined with an 'advertorial' are more impactful, as the customers perceive you as being the expert at solving their problems

In-Person

Face to face and referrals are the best source of qualified customers

1. Remember that you are always in sales mode. Be respectful when asking for a customer's business
2. The initial contact is about building a relationship. Listening to understand the customers problem.
3. Have a number of elevator pitches prepared

Online

Have a strong, and varied, online presence; as customers go online to do their research and discovery

1. Have a presence on any trade association, chamber of commerce, or other organizations web sites that you are a member of
2. Google adwords, or other paid online adverts, can be very effective; but they need to be well placed and managed
3. Personlize any emails you send out, and include information that is directly relevent to that person

Keeping a Potential Customer Interested

A customer may not be ready to buy from you today, work with them over time to understand their needs and present yourself and being the subject matter expert in solving their problems.

1. Reduce the gap between what the customer wants, what they need, and what you can offer
2. Be specific any promises, or deals, that you make, so that the customers fully understands what is involved.
3. Ask for permission to collect their information, have them like you on facebook, visit your web site, etc. so that you have a way of staying in contact

Making the First Sale to a New Customer

Making the sales processes as 'user friendly' as possible, makes it easy for the customer to part with their money and also enhances the satisfaction of the customer

1. Thank the customer for their business
2. Making a sale is 20% about the actual sale. 80% is a sale is about the customer service that you offer, which can be monetized
3. Use the first sale to start building the customer's lifetime value