Your Marketing Guide to Sizzling Summer Sales...Training 2

Encourage Customer Loyalty and Repeat Business

We know that it costs more to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one, so start rewarding your customers for their loyalty to keep them coming back. Here are a few simple ideas to get you thinking:

•Customer Loyalty cards. We see nail salons, cafes, and beauty supply stores use stamp cards to keep their customers coming back. Every time you have a manicure, buy a coffee or sandwich, purchase beauty supplies you are one stamp closer to a freebie. When the card is full, it’s your turn to reap the rewards.

• Create Repeat Customers . Encourage first time customers to come back by sending them an email offering them a discount off their next service or meal. You’ll create another opportunity to provide them with a memorable experience and to build affinity with your business. Use an offer code or include a coupon in an email following their first service so that you can calculate the program’s return on investment.

Launch a Customer Win-Back Campaign

This approach ties into the notion of customer loyalty. While your competitors may be taking the summer season in stride, your message will resonate loud and clear. You miss them and want them back. To win back a previous customer, it’ll cost you less than acquiring a new one. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Send lapsed customers a survey. Find out why they’ve taken their business elsewhere. Was it a service or price issue? Is there something you can do to win them back? Just asking the question shows that you care and you’ll probably learn something new about your business in the process.

• Offer an incentive to come back. Send them an email or postcard and offer them a discount off a product or service. It might be just the reminder that you mean what you say. Create an alert in your survey if someone answers a question reflecting a poor service experience. If they come back, work extra hard to change their mind. The difference now is you know why they left in the first place.

Get Personal

When times get tough, it’s your loyal customers who get you through a slow down. This summer, try to improve your service level through personalization. Here are a few suggestions:

• Get to know your frequent clients. Try to address them by their first name. One customer describes a nail salon they have been to a few times in the neighborhood and they never remember her name or even recognize her. It is a lost opportunity to create a memorable service experience. Simply calling someone by their name when they walk in the door can really make an impact, especially when they come in with a friend. Customers will feel popular and reassured they made the recommendation.

• Thank your customers for their business. This can be anything from a handwritten note or phone call, to a personalized email or postcard. Thanking your customers is just another opportunity to remind them that you value their business.