How To Lose Your Current Customers, or not!

“There’s a fine line between fishing and standing on the bank and looking like an idiot” -Steven Wright

I cannot tell you the number of emails I receive every day telling me how to explode my lists… how to generate targeted leads with video… basically, how I can build a huge business. I’m sure you receive them as well.

We are not going to talk about generating new business today, instead - let’s cover something you already have – but possibly in jeopardy of losing.

It’s a given that every Business must have a marketing strategy in place to generate new customers (advertising, direct mail, yellow pages, internet presence, email campaigns, social marketing, etc).

But what about our existing Customers?

Do you have a marketing strategy in place to keep the Customers you already have?… or do you just assume that;

Once they are a Customer - Always a Customer

We both know this is a false presumption, and not even close to being the truth.

We lose Customers every day to the Competition – it is just a part of doing business and we accept it.

Why do we lose Customers?

What are a few of the reasons you have lost Customers to the Competition?

• Prices not competitive?
• You give bad service?
• Employees ran them off?
• They think you are a scammer?
• Maybe your location?
• Or, I never gave it much thought – do not want to know why.

I will take a chance here and say it is none of those reasons if you have been in business for any length of time (you’d already be out of business).

More than likely, the Primary reason you lose Customers to your Competitors is – are you ready?

It’s Because They Have Forgotten About You!

That’s it.

Nothing more (unless it is was one of the other reasons).

Think of it this way. The Ad you placed in the Newspaper or Yellow pages that brought the Customer in your door the very first time — to your Customer, it’s the same to them as going on a “first, or blind date” with you.

If their “date” with you was not very memorable or spectacular, they move on and go out with someone else. One time dates don’t pay the bills — repeat dates is where the money is.

Let’s be honest… doing business with most of us is not like the Customer went to DisneyWorld. With all the advertising noise in the world – how can we expect them to remember us? We can’t – so we need to help them.

We are all constantly bombarded with Advertising from every direction – the TV, Radio, Newspaper, Magazines. It’s a wonder we can remember anything.

Sure, we could come up with some gimmicks that might help them to remember who we are – be extra nice, lower our prices, or any multitude of things. But most businesses are already doing this stuff (guess you could put an inflated Gorilla on the roof).

Besides, we do not want to compete on price, lose profits and become known as the place to get something cheap. That puts us in direct competition with Wal-Mart.

A Customer, who buys from you because you are the cheapest - only buys from you until they find someone cheaper. Then they are gone.

What we need to do instead is remind the Customer that you are still available, and how you’d like to continue on with the relationship.

How do we do this?

Try a little test – starting with your next Customer. When it’s time for them to pay for the item or service they purchased, ask for their email address.

Better yet, you might have a “Preferred Customer” card printed that asks for their Name, Address, Email Address and so forth that you can enter into a database -ask them to fill out the “Preferred Customer” card at check out time.

If they want to know why you want their email address (some people will balk and want to know why you want it) – simply say; “Once a month or so – I send out a “Preferred Customer” Newsletter” – that’s it.

Depending on your business – and if they balk a little, you could also say something like “Once a month or so, I send out a Preferred Customer Newsletter that gives little known tips and receipes on baking bread (or whatever you do)”.

The key that makes all this work is you must send information and content they are interested in, want and deem very useful.

Do not (worth repeating) – do not send them blatant Advertising. Provide them with useful information and content. Something they will look forward to receiving.

The email Newsletter serves but one purpose; To keep your name in front of the Customer. This way, whenever they think “baking bread” (using the above example), you are the only “baking store” they think about.

How can they not?

Chances are, you will be the only local business sending them a Newsletter. How many emails have you received lately from any local business you’ve been in? I’d dare to say none.

This strategy is something that’s easy to do – and it’s something you can start doing today.

Keep this in mind – the money you spend on Advertising may get the Customer “in the door” initially… but it is the things you can do afterwards that keeps them coming back again, and again and again… don’t let them forget you.

Now… go ask for a second date!

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