Armour Marketing Group, Inc.

Every time you turn around, an employee of a business wants you to sign up for a loyalty card. There's every type you can imagine and your wallet probably has a few in it, as we speak.  These are puposely designed to develope a relationship with you and to lure you back in, time after time. The experts know - it's easier and more profitable to generate business from repeat customers than to find and secure new ones.

This goes for restaurants, retail stores, grocery stores, car washes, spas and salons, insurance brokers and the like; the list goes on.  However, this relationship building thing is not as easy as it appears and it starts and continues with everything from how you advertise your business, to how you answer the phone, to how you keep your name in front of your customers, to how you promote repeat business. 

Your first impression, on to and through your service, follow up and long-term mission must be carefully calculated and implemented for one reason and one reason only...to cultivate loyal customers who not only keep coming back themselves, but who also spread the word to friends and family.

Developing this kind of client/customer base and waling-talking advertisement for you requires a plan of action, combining  memorable branding, plus some rules and tools of marketing.

1. Build your business on a product or service that requires or has a repetitive buy.   So - all you restaurants, spas, nail salons, pet groomers, landscapers, accountants and dentists - listen up!  You  have services that people want or need again and again. It's critical to concentrate on what will bring customers back on a regular and recurring basis.

2. People don't buy on price alone, so don't compete on price alone. If you do, there'll be no reason for customers to return if a competitor has a better deal. You need to position your business and compete with what's perceived by your customer as an "added value." Notice I said "perceived by your customer", that's the key.  Not what you think you can get away with in order to get them to come back - but truly - what's important to them!  This means you have to know who your customers are, first. Know what's of value to them;  whether it's particular menu items, a strong guarantee, flexible hours, great wait staff, better call handling, whatever!  And keep in mind - it will most likely be a combination of things.

3. You must find a way to capture customer information. If you don't know who your customers are, you can't analyze them or stay in touch with them. Gather names and contact information any way you can. The best list is your "In House" list!  If you're an online business, you can offer opt-in registration for e-mail communications. If you're a restaurant, offer a Birthday Program, if you're a dentist - it's easy, you have to have that information, but this is a "Must do."  Have a fishbowl -  collect business cards for a drawing or request information on feedback forms. Be creative!

4. Then use this contact information! Send handwritten thank-you's, invitations, reminders, announcements, appreciation memos. Snail Mail works!  It's old-fashioned, but it's still a good way to show customers that you value them.  Just be sure it's personalized. "Dear Valued Customer" won't cut it.

5. Maybe you have the type of business and enough staff to implement calls to your customers. Sometimes just announcing some new service or product, a special promotion or asking for repeat business can do the trick.

6. Restaurants - send Happy Birthday Postcards, Salons - send notes and email reminders.  Use a gift offer towards a menu item, or a special service.  Dentists - send reminder cards; auto mechanics post stickers with odometer readings on your windshield, these are just some ways to remind your clients that you're there and that they are important to you. Again, be creative.  These techniques work in any business that offers regular, repeat or seasonal service.

7. Create customer rewards and loyalty programs. Whether it's a discount during the customer's birthday month,  a private event sale for preferred customers, a special discount on a product or service, a gift certificate is they spend a certain amount with you, whatever.  It's simple - rewarding customers for loyalty builds loyalty and - best of all - it's a good business practice.

8. Communicate again and again, using different ways to reach that customer; through e-mail, direct-mail and the  telephone. Informing customers about special promotions, new products or other news gives you an excuse to keep your business in front of them. And today - e-mail is very affordable - literally for pennies per customer.

9. Invest in promotional specialty items or "leave-behinds."  Along with business cards, how about calendars, memo pads, refrigerator magnets, mouse pads, makeup blotters, branded with your business name and identity.  Remember the day when people collected matches from every restaurant?  Find methods of reminding customers you exist and use them all as an arsenol in your overall marketing plan.

10. And most importantly - make customer service your number one priority. There's no substitute for a "WOW" experience. If you can't get them to like you, trust you and brag about you, you'll be spinning your wheels, looking for new customers to burn through everyday of the week.

Remember, the path to success and profitability involves repeat customers. There are many ways to build repeat business, but you'll need to focus on this from the get-go.  If you make this your goal, to gain and develop customer relationships for life. Your business will succeed and continue to grow.

For help or more information on customer loyalty go to:  http://www.Armourmarketing.net or http://wwwbirthdaypostcardprogram.com or http://www.restaurantpostcardmarketing.com