Smooth Move Marketing

Posts Tagged ‘follow up’

Traditional marketing strategies encourage business owners to continually grow their businesses by adding new customers. In today’s competitive world of business, it is more important than ever to aim for more transactions with existing customers by using the power of customer follow-up and attention to good service.

These second ten tips will help you in turning your existing customers into walking billboards for your business and loyal customers for a lifetime. While we aren’t advocating that you do all ten, choosing your favorite five and making sure they become a part of your marketing efforts will pay off handsomely.

1. Conduct surveys one time per month in order to find out what your clients want and need. Your ability to deliver solutions to current problems will position you as a coach who is solution oriented and who is willing to be flexible to deliver what it is that the client most wants and needs. An online survey tool such as www.zoomerang.com is a fantastic tool for providing online surveys to your current customers and clients.

2. Support your clients by attending their events and by sending them referrals. Are your clients leading a workshop or a teleclass? Are they holding a special “grand opening” or announcing a new product or service? Will your client be playing the piano for a special event or helping with a charity auction? Find out what special events are in the future for your client and attend those events with enthusiasm. This one perk will let your clients know that you are committed to them through and through. In addition, become a walking billboard for your clients, telling others about their products or services, and send them referrals on a regular basis. The building of a strong relationship and strategic alliance begins with you, so let your support be known by “showing up” and “talking your client up to others.” If you cannot attend the event, contact the client on the day of their big event, wishing them well and letting them know how much you wish you could attend.

3. Set aside a 3 hour block of time each week strictly for the purpose of being “on call” for your clients. During this 3-hour block of time, you will be providing “spot coaching” for clients who want to call in for questions, a quick dose of motivation, or to get support in the area of problem solving. Limit each call to 15 minutes so that everyone who wants to talk with you will have a chance to do so.

4. Host a “Client Only” Call one time per month. As you begin to coach more and more of your ideal clients, you will begin to notice “common problems” shared by your clients. Watch closely for these common problems, and use your knowledge to build a “Client Only” call one time per month. The Client Only call will provide your clients with information and value around a particular topic which is on their minds such as how to increase profits, how to get more customers, or how to deal with negative thought patterns which block success. The Client Only Call will also support your clients in extending his or her network, which is a wonderful value add.

5. Answer each and every question asked by your clients with a positive and helpful attitude. Quite often as a coach, you will find that your clients want one thing…your help! Each time a client sends you a question by e-mail or calls you by phone to ask a question, respond with compassion and with the A to Z details which will provide the support they are seeking. Studies show that approximately 68% of all people will choose to continue doing business with you based on your attitude, so treat your clients as if you are honored to answer their questions, and as always, answer their questions as quickly as possible (within 24 hours is recommended.)
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Traditional marketing strategies encourage business owners to continually grow their businesses by adding new customers. In today’s competitive world of business, it is more important than ever to aim for more transactions with existing customers by using the power of customer follow-up and attention to good service.

These first ten tips will help you in turning your existing customers into walking billboards for your business and loyal customers for a lifetime. While we aren’t advocating that you do all of them, choosing your favorite five and making sure they become a part of your marketing efforts will pay off handsomely.

1. Call your clients every Monday morning just to say “Good Morning,” and to check in on how things are going. This extra ounce of attention will keep you forefront in the minds of your clients, and they will greatly appreciate your extended care and concern.

2. Keep a list of birthdays, special days of celebration, and upcoming special events in the life of your clients and their families. On these special days, send a card or small gift to let your clients know you are thinking of them. On the same note, keep a detailed list of hobbies, interests, favorite foods, preferred music, and the like. As you travel or are out and about, and you see a small token which you know your client would appreciate, buy the item, and ship it with a note that says “I thought of you when I saw this! Enjoy!” One of the most desirable “client perks” is tickets to a favorite sporting event or concert. Many companies purchase packages of sporting event tickets strictly for the purpose of entertaining champion clients and for building a long lasting relationship with the individual.

3. Be “Newsy” and a Trend Setter. One of the best ways to develop loyal clients is to become a trendsetter, continue your own education and training, and to become a forward thinker. By attending training events and reading cutting edge magazines such as Dwell, Futurist Magazine, FAST Company, Gourmet, Architectural Digest, and even Cosmopolitan Magazine, you will be able to follow trends which are current, allowing your clients to receive the newest and best information available on a variety of topics from business to fashion to design to travel to new foods on the market.

4. Attend conferences for your clients. For clients who are too busy to attend a conference, you can offer to attend a conference in their place. The best approach is to choose a conference that will benefit both you and your clients, and you pick up the tab (you will be able to deduct your cost as a business expense, so keep records and receipts for all expenses). While attending the event, collect a “goody bag” for each of your clients, that will include samples from the conference exhibit and any written materials, which you feel may be of benefit to your clients. When you return from the event, host a one-hour conference call or teleclass to update your clients on the latest/greatest in their industry.

5. Feature your clients or referral partners on your website or in your newsletter as your honored man or woman of the month/week. Contact your clients or people you often refer others to one month prior to publication, and invite them to be interviewed as your “guest expert” for the month/week. Record the interview, transcribe the interview, and post the recorded interview and transcription, along the client’s photograph, biography, and contact information on your website or in your newsletter. The enhanced visibility will speak volumes to your clients about your support for their lives, and will show others that you are committed to the personal and professional improvement of others.
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Let’s be honest… everybody knows that people are in business to make money. Yeah, customer’s know you’ve got our eyes set on making a profit, but they still want to believe that you are in business for more than just their money. Do your customers know that you really care about them? Here are 4 “tried and true” techniques to show them you care.

1. Be Personal
I recently walked into a well-known store and spoke with a salesperson who really seemed to have it going on. I felt pretty good about the interaction, until I walked away and heard him reciting the same spiel he had just used with me moments earlier.

Customers are looking for personal one-on-one recognition. In this automated world, they are used to feeling like just a number, and crave to have real interaction. Take the time to discover their lifestyle before you try to sell them a one-size-fits-all product. Think about the ways the product will benefit THEM.

You’ll find that there are pockets of people with similar interests and needs. Hey, that’s the perfect opportunity to customize your sales campaign to the needs of different market niches.

2. Look Out For The Customer
Sure, you’ve sat and listened to boring sales speaches that went on and on about every feature, aspect and guarantee a product had to offer. Yeah, BORING! Customers don’t give a hoot about the specific details and credentials of you and your product nearly as much as they want to know how it will benefit them.
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Marketers from every niche have common ground when it comes to bills.  Yeah, every month there’s a new stack of bills demanding to be paid.  Will there be enough profit to slide right through bill paying time without a flinch?  Or do you find yourself fretting about whether you’ll even break even?  You don’t have to be victimized by envelopes and 8×10 sheets of paper.  Implement these 3 techniques to boost your sales.

1.  Find More Customers
The first thing that comes to mind when we think of making more money is getting more customers through our doors.  In fact, the majority of advertising focuses on doing just that.  There are several things you can do to entice more customers to buy from you.

Implement Follow-Ups
Marketing gurus have discovered that follow ups can increase your customer conversion rates by as much as 50%.  Now, that’s a whopping improvement!  Don’t let potential customers fade away.   Keep the doors for future communication open, and watch the drastic growth in your profits.

Encourage Referrals
Every satisfied customer will tell 3 friends or family members about your business – without encouragement.  Imagine what would happen if you start rewarding their efforts.
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