If your business has been suffering due to decreasing (or a lack of) sales, you might have an issue with customer loyalty. Building loyalty is one of the most important things you can do to improve business performance and increase sales. If you’re looking for ways to do both in 2020, here are five ways to get started and ensure you have a happy and successful year.
1. OFFER FREEBIES
People love getting freebies, whether that’s in the form of free ebooks, articles, or some other form of free information that can help them in their personal or professional lives. Offering freebies is a great way to build loyalty because once customers see that you’re acting in their best interest, they’ll start to see your company as one that can provide value — and they’ll start to see value in the products you’re offering. They’ll see that they can trust you and they’ll trust in your products or services just as much, leading to increased loyalty and maybe even free word-of-mouth advertising for your business.
2. BE TRANSPARENT
Customers are tired of dishonesty and a lack of transparency when it comes to dealing with companies. Transparency is a growing trend among organizations large and small as customers demand more from companies they plan on spending money with. More and more companies are embracing this new trend and you should, too, if you want to build or increase loyalty. Companies like Amway are increasingly opening up and being more honest about their business practices, among other things. People don’t have to wonder, “Is Amway a scam or not?” because the company is taking measures to ensure people know it isn’t by revealing their business model and being upfront and genuine about how they do business.
3. MAKE THINGS PERSONAL
Whenever you send out communications to your customers or business associates, make sure to personalize them first. That means using first names and incorporating things you might’ve previously discussed into emails and voicemails. That gives the impression that you actually care about the person and that you’re invested in them. You could even go as far as sending hand-written thank you notes or holiday cards to make it even more special for them. Doing things like this can make your customers and associates want to reciprocate and/or continue doing business with you.
4. SHOW YOUR VALUE
Customers are much more likely to trust you and do business with you if they know what value you’re providing them. Make it easy for them to see your value by sending out newsletters regularly to show them all of the good you’re doing for not only them (and customers like them) but for the community. Make sure not to pat yourself on the back too much — no one likes a bragger. Just find ways to show them (without being smug) what you’ve been able to do for other customers like them and the results of such actions. That’ll lead them to believe you can do the same for them.
5. REWARD LOYAL CUSTOMERS
If you’ve been a customer at your favorite big box retail store for more than a year, you know the company typically offers rewards for consistently shopping there. Use the same technique in your business and offer your most loyal customers rewards for remaining loyal to your business. You can offer coupons, discounts, or run special promotions for spending a certain amount of money. You can easily send messages via a web SMS platform. Try to keep track of what your customers want and need and tailor the rewards you offer appropriately. You can also opt to create a customer loyalty program that offers regular rewards for customers.
GETTING STARTED
Building loyalty in business in 2020 doesn’t have to be difficult when you keep the above tips in mind. By mastering the techniques provided, you can skate into the New Year equipped with the knowledge you need to take your business to the next level by building loyalty in business in 2020 and beyond.