As you might already know, the number of your return customers can have a huge impact on the revenues, growth, and sustainability of any organization.
However, client loyalty tends to be a significant challenge for most businesses. After all, the client has a lot of options these days, so they don’t always have to come back to you when they need something you might be offering.
But why do some businesses have so many loyal customers? – one might wonder!
It’s not an easy feat to keep every customer loyal to your business, but it’s not impossible either.
Below are a few small yet memorable ways you can win a client’s loyalty for good.
1. Send Thoughtful Gifts to Your Clients
Nothing quite makes a client feel special and valued than receiving a gift from a business they shopped from or worked with. It could be for their birthday, an anniversary, a holiday, an important event, or simply for appreciation.
The best part is that there are so many gift options you can choose from out there.
Better yet, you can consider working with a company that offers custom corporate swag gifts and other company merchandise. This can be a great way to appreciate clients with a thoughtful gift while also spreading the word about your company out there.
2. Offer Freebies
Companies usually offer free samples to customers who buy a product, but even if you don’t sell any products at first, there are things you can give away for free (like a free eBook, case study, etc.). This will instantly build goodwill while helping to make the relationship between you and the client feel more personal and less transactional.
3. Invite Them to A VIP Event or Exclusive Party
Nothing can be more effective in attracting a customer’s loyalty than creating unique experiences for them. If your client already enjoys spending a good chunk of their time at your business, they’ll be more likely to enjoy your next client event or get-together, since they already feel a bit attached to you.
This can help build their loyalty to your business too.
4. Engage Them on Social Media
Now, you probably already know that you can use social media to grow your business in many ways. So, don’t be afraid to ask your client to like your company on Facebook or LinkedIn (or share some of your blog posts).
The better your social media following, the more likely they are to want to continue to visit your website or even call you up when they have some needs relating to what your business offers.
Constantly engaging with your clients on social media can help make them feel like they have some sort of personal connection to you. In return, they’re more likely to have an even stronger bond with you and your brand.
5. Consider Using A Customer Loyalty Program
Any successful entrepreneur will tell you one thing – and it’s true to the core –: acquiring new customers costs tons more than selling to repeat customers. And from this perspective, customer loyalty programs are among the best tactics businesses can adopt to retain customers while attracting new ones without incurring hefty costs!
And if you are wondering, customer loyalty programs are not anything new. Also synonymously known as customer reward programs or loyalty points programs, they’ve actually been used for years by entrepreneurs, from small to large businesses.
They can be structured to offer monetary discounts, provide more value, or provide a range of other calculated benefits to customers in return for their loyalty!
You might have actually come across them yourself if you’re a regular customer at certain retail stores, airlines, and scores of other types of businesses. Some even use them to gain a vantage point over their competitors when advertising their products or services.
6. Compliment Your Customers Often
Complimenting your client makes them feel good, and that positive feeling is all the more helpful if they’re already starting to feel a bit closer to you. It could be as simple as saying, “thanks for being so patient, Miss Jane”, or “you look sharp today Mr. Doe”.
It could also be a handwritten note to thank them for the consultation or some sort of congratulatory message.
7. Regularly Ask for Feedback
It’s not always easy to ask your client for reviews and feedback, but if you’re not sure whether you’re providing them with enough value, then you should definitely ask. This makes them feel like they have some sort of ownership over your business, which is something that customers who become fans feel they’re entitled to – they actually expect it.
It shows that your business indeed values their opinions and needs and that you trust them enough to involve them in the shaping of your company. And you know what they say – that trust goes both ways?
Plus, you never know, you could collect important information that could help you improve certain areas of your business, making your clients feel satisfied and even more loyal.
8. Always Answer the Phone When They Call
As long as you’re a legitimate business, you can always expect customers to call seeking assistance, information, answers, and clarification. Some will even buzz your phone repeatedly with complaints, concerns, or compliments. Always pick that call unless you really can’t!
And even if your client doesn’t buy your services very often, and you don’t have a lot of contact with them over time, you can always follow up by calling them. This also makes them feel like you value them, thus increasing their chances of giving you repeat business over time.
While these tricks seem incredibly simple, they can be quite effective in winning client loyalty for life. Failing to understand these simple tricks is among the reasons why many businesses fail and end up struggling to get significant traction. They end up leaving the door wide open for competition to snatch their clients from under their feet.
The bottom line is that keeping your clients happy and feeling like you’re a genuinely good person to work with can help increase your chances of getting new business.
This ultimately means more clients for you, which subsequently adds to your growth and success over time. And the above list is proof that you don’t really need to spend a fortune to win lifetime loyalty from most of your clients!
About the Author
Cristina Par is a content specialist with a passion for writing articles that bridge the gap between brands and their audiences. She believes that high-quality content plus the right link-building strategies can turn the tables for businesses small and large.
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