Business Tools Part 2

Client Retention

A major part of any business is attracting interested people who hopefully will eventually become customers. Customers that become repeat buyers are a very important asset to any type of business. It is also an area where most businesses just don't do a very good job. Client creation tools are given high priority but client retention tools are often overlooked. This is particularly important where there is a high degree of personal interaction between the business owner/salesperson and the customer i.e. real estate, investment advisors, network marketers, dentists, chiroprators, vetinarians, naturopaths, medical doctors, insurance agents etc. If business owners viewed client retention as "follow up" then perhaps it would be given more power.

We are all very busy and very focused on the next sale. Once a customer has purchased and gone home, they are often forgotten. Too bad. It is much easier to sell to an existing customer than to create a new customer. In some businesses, like real estate, the sell or buy cycle can be two, five or ten years. That's a long time when you need to make money in the present. That's where long term thinking comes in. The key here is that happy customers can talk. Existing happy customers are your best source of personal referrals. This is "your acre of diamonds".

How do you mine this "acre of diamonds". Occasional personal phone calls are good, occasional e mails are good, and snail mail works well too. These only work if you remember to do them. This is where a good contact management system can pay big dividends. The system I like is tied directly to a greeting card system. Once the customer relationship is established I enter his or her name, and basic information like date of purchase, birthdays, anniversaries, and whatever other days are relevant to them. I can then pick a card, write a personal message, sign it, and press send. By the way, this part is all done on my computer. Once I press send, the Send Out Cards in Utah prints the card, puts it in an envelope, addresses it, stamps it and mails it. All in a couple of days. It's like having a peronal secretary. SOC also reminds you of all the important dates to send cards via your contact management system. Cards can be totally customized with full color pictures on front or inside to make them totally personal.

It's a great client retention tool that will keep your name in front of your clients. It's a great way for some professionals to do their "reminder" mailings. Try it out. Send a card on me. You can send a card to yourself to see how well it works. If you are looking for a home based business, there is a business opportunity attached. Details on website.