One of the best ways to boost your business is to focus on your current customer base. Business owners often spend so much time and money trying to bring in new customers instead of marketing to their 'warm' market – the people who have already spent money in their store.
Are you marketing to your current and past customers? Even if you are, there's probably more that you could be doing to boost your repeat business.
Some ideas to boost your repeat business and increase sales:
=> Get to know your customers personally. Talk to them in the store. Find out about who they are, what their lifestyle is like. Make your business all about them, not about you.More ideas? Things you've tried? Leave a comment or two.
=> Keep customer information on file. Don't forget to get permission first! Get customers to offer their information in exchange for a valuable free gift. Remember, their info is valuable too. And let them know why you want their information - to send them special offers or a newsletter, to provide better, more personalized service, etc. Be honest.
=> Actually use your database or information file. Your resources are much better spent on following up current and past customers than on advertising to try to find new ones. Send out invitations to special events, birthday greetings, new product info, testimonials, refill reminders – whatever your customers will enjoy receiving and will get them to come back to see you again. Getting a customer to come back to the store again is much less expensive than the cost of getting a new customer.
=> Ask your customers for referrals. You can create a fancy referral program, or simply ask your customers to tell their friends. You can host a special VIP event for customers and their friends. Offer current customers a discount for referrals.
Copyright Melanie McIntosh, Inspire Retail Solutions 2005
