Article provided by Sage
Attracting new customers is hard work. But, once you’ve won their business, it’s a lot easier keeping them. That’s because these are the people who have already chosen your product or service and who have bought into your brand – so selling to them (again) makes more sense than trying to convince someone who’s never bought from you before.
Here are six ways to increase sales from existing customers:
1. Get to know them
More importantly, understand why they keep coming back and what tempts them to leave. You can gather this type of customer feedback via a courtesy call or questionnaire and can use it to improve your sales strategy.
2. Use social media smartly
Tap into your followers to improve your product or service. Test the waters of your new offerings on social media, or start a thread asking for their honest feedback. Social media is also a great way to check out what your competition is up to.
3. Upsell and cross-sell wherever possible
Make the most of your customers’ support by expanding the value or range of what you offer. If your sales are mostly online, target specific customers based on their buying habits when in your marketing campaigns.
4. Stay top-of-mind
Tell your customers when you release new or improved products or service offerings. A weekly newsletter is a great way to keep in touch.
5. Show appreciation
Pinpoint which customers are the most loyal and high spending, and encourage orders by offering them specials or discounts.
6. Get people talking
Drumming up referrals through your existing customer base is a sure-fire way to bring in new customers. Incentivise them by offering discounts based on their recommendations to others.
7. Target with care
Be cautious not to badger your customers with sales pitches that don’t relate to their needs. Ensure your sales campaigns are carefully targeted at the right people. If not, you could exasperate them and lose their trust. Rather than chasing a quick buck, focus on nurturing long-term relationships.