We at the SBDC and CITD found a neat article from Kudzu about building customer loyalty.
From the June 16 Kudzu Insider:
Offering giveaways or special deals is a great way to win new customers and keep the ones you already have by making them feel special and appreciated. To help get you started, here are a few suggestions of the types of customer benefit programs you might consider:
Frequency discounts: Offer special discounts for repeat customers. For example, if you own a lawn or landscaping service, you can offer a free mow and pruning session for customers who purchase 5 sessions. Expect new customers all summer long by encouraging them to share the offer with their friends and neighbors!
Gift with purchase: For first-time customers or for those who have used your services before, you can offer a free gift for new customers. If you are a carpet cleaner, you can offer to clean an extra room free or clean a couch at no extra charge. You can be sure that will get people talking about your company!
Loyalty programs: Give away special gifts or offer anniversary and birthday specials for your most loyal customers to make them feel part of an exclusive club.
Group discounts: Send out a special deal to neighborhoods or associations offering customers a unique deal or discount if they live in that area or belong to that group. If you are a painter or roofer working in a neighborhood, place a flier with your deal on the doorsteps or in mailboxes of the other homes in the area.
Referral bonus: Reward customers for sending you additional business. For example, if you are a dentist, you may offer a friends and family discount if your customers tell their neighbors about your services.
Get people talking with special offers to your current and prospective customers. The more they feel valued, the more you can expect your business to grow. Looking for other sales and marketing strategies? Consider attending the SBDITC Marketing Workshop or the email marketing seminar.
Have you used customer loyalty programs? Share your experience in the comments section below.
Nice post! These ideas are very helpful for entrepreneurs who want to create more loyal customers.
Thanks for the comment! We have been using email to stay in touch with our clients for almost 5 years through monthly campaigns and special blasts. We’re really exciting about the email marketing seminar not only for our clients but for our own customer service skills!
Great write-up. We’ve been using a few of these ideas for years, and reading this just confirms that we are on the right track. My company sells chameleons, which is a relatively high-ticket exotic pet. We have been running group discounts to our most loyal customers, and we’ve had great success. Group discounts are a great way to spark buying interest from customers that might not have been ready to buy. We’ve been posting our group discounts over at http://www.gotogroupbuy.com, which allows us to offer aggressive pricing since they don’t charge us any fees.
This is something we plan to utilize at least every 45 to 60 days.
Thanks for the advice guys…keep it up!
Vincent