Selling to existing customers seems to be an art form that has gone out of style… or perhaps it was never even in style in the first place? How many times have you wondered why new customers get various perks when you see or hear ads? When’s the last time that you noticed that companies were jumping over themselves to thank customers for their loyal service by discounting their bills or offering them free goodies?
Time and again, we at Optimum Systems Online see companies getting so wrapped up in grabbing new customers that the ones that have been the backbone of their business in the first place are readily overlooked. They come to us with marketing budgets with forecasts saying “We’ll need this many new people to meet this year’s goal” in mind, but seldom do the powers-that-be consider how much cheaper it is to market to the people that already know their business, service, product, and quality. Thankfully, we steer our clients in the right direction. Often you have a new product or service that your existing customers would be interested in. You’ve already built a relationship of trust, now is your chance to give the customer more of what they want.
So you want to take advantage of this “low-hanging-fruit”? Here are a few things to keep in mind:
The Power of Your Website
When it comes to grabbing the attention of any customer, particularly those that are already your customer, you have to stay fresh and new, and you need to harness the power that your web agency can offer you. What do you do best and why do you do it? Do you sell your product or service online? Do you keep your content fresh and new? Think about adding an RSS feed, which will give you the ability to keep a blog running on your site so you can offer tips, tricks, and other titbits to keep your audience interested.
Driving the Relationship
When it comes to business, relationships should be your bread and butter. Sure, you may have a phenomenal product, impeccable service at the time of the transaction, and you may even just be a great person. But if you can’t figure out a way to build on the relationships that you have with your customers and clients, they really won’t care how great of a person you are or how great the product is. Whether you like it or not, social media is here to stay. So rather than running from it, and waiting for the fad to pass over you so you can get back to business, embrace all that it has to offer. What do you think of when you think of social media, anyway? First word that pops into your head is likely Facebook. Great! Start there! Build a user-friendly interface that you can use to update your consumers, and be sure to find time to thank them for their comments or feedback if they post on your wall. This type of personal interaction with you and your brand will not only create loyalty, but it will create chatter among that person’s list of acquaintances. History teaches us that word of mouth is one of the most powerful marketing tools available, so leverage the power of the relationships you can build with social medial.
Other options to be sure to consider are, of course, Google+ and Twitter. When it comes to getting your name out there and getting known, the farther you can reach a conversational audience, the more likely you are to create the buzz you want around your brand. One sometimes-overlooked resource is LinkedIn. LinkedIn isn’t just a professional network; it’s a network that you can use to market to professionals. Update your LinkedIn status with great thoughts or deals at your business. Join professional groups that can help you bounce your ideas around and help you build up your client base.
Remember Your Reputation
So you’ve done a great job of building relationships – so you think. Keep in mind that people these days may be more willing to complain to someone else (or the rest of the world) before they’ll tell you. Take the time to really reach out to your customers. If you have a brick-and-mortar business, be sure to check in on your Yelp! reviews and check other sites where people might have some feedback about your company. It’s okay to reach out to those that were dissatisfied; in fact, it’s recommended. One negative post is seen by tons of people, so a little goodwill can go a long way in repairing a relationship and reputation that you may not have even realized had been damaged in the first place.
Another thing to think of when you’re managing your reputation is feedback. Sure, we all want to be known for simply being our amazing selves, but chances are, you probably have a flaw or two like the rest of us. Encourage feedback with calls to action on your social media sites or email campaigns. If one person wasn’t a fan of something, it’s probably just their opinion, but if you hear back from ten people that a certain link didn’t make sense or a certain product didn’t function the way they expected, you have a great ground with which to start running in terms of building up your reputation, listening to feedback, and making adjustments with your customers in mind.
Keep your eyes on the prize, and with a little work and some creativity, success will be yours before you know it!
If you enjoyed reading this post, you may also enjoy reading, “Why Aren’t You Converting Sales?”
