Stop Your Customers From Getting Poached!

It happens all the time. Customers move on to other businesses.  The problem is similar to affairs of the heart; your company wasn’t listening and another company was offering exactly what your customer wanted today.  Those poaching efforts are intentional. So it’s key to listen to your customer and provide the product and services they need today.  Customer retention is a lot less costly than trying to find more new customers. And companies at the top know how to do both!

Here are my 10 Tips To Customer Retention and Poaching Prevention.

1. Always thank your customer for their business and loyalty. Consider offering a loyalty card or discount to encourage multiple purchases over time.
2. Be aware of your competition. You should shop your competition regularly to see if their price, product or service has changed and how they compare with yours.
3. Review your competition’s social media sites and see if they are offering any benefits you do not provide. Also note their most successful promotions and posts in comparison to yours.
4. Survey your employees. They are the first ones to know if your customers are unhappy or if they are not purchasing the way they should be. Your front line is your reception and your sales team. They  have a lot to say about improving your business if you are ready to listen. It also makes them feel more valued on your team.
5. One of the most successful promotions is to send a coupon to customers who just made a purchase; they can immediately use that coupon on another purchase. You can also expand that to offer two coupons (one for them, one for a friend). This encourages them to pass the promotion on to potential new customers.
6. A little market research can grow your business. Conduct a survey or poll asking your past customers what your company can do to better serve them. Get their ideas on how your company can provide better products and services. Ask if they have any hesitations to recommend your company to their friends.
7. Tell your past customers you value them and would like more customers like them. Ask them to take the time to review your company and products on the review website you value most (provide a link to that review page).
8. Survey your employees. They are the first ones to know if your customers are unhappy or if they are not purchasing the way they should be. Your front line is your sales team and they have a lot to say about improving your business if you are listening.
9. Compare your sales year-to-year along with the number of new customers you have added each year. If those numbers are not growing, review your customer repeat business or retention. If you find you are not getting second, third and fourth purchases, it’s time to work on your sales model.
10. Ask your customers about the convenience of working with your business and their other favorite stores. Many times, consumers are concerned about something as little as shipping fees or delivery. If that makes a big difference to your customers, consider adding it to your service (even if you have to raise your price a bit to afford it).

If you feel your customer base is not growing or your sales are not keeping up with your goals, contact Liz Harsch by email or call Tailor-Made Advertising at 310-791-6300 to get help identifying whatever is holding your company back from thriving sales in 2022.

Liz Harsch is the owner of Tailor-Made Advertising in Torrance, CA. Her firm provides marketing, training and consulting to identify marketing and media alternatives for business owners. As an experienced Marketing Director, Media Planner, Liz has trained small business owners for Constant Contact, SCORE, SBDC, SBA, Cities and MWD and County outreach partners, APICS plus many Chambers of Commerce for over 20 years. She can be reached at her Torrance, CA, office at 310-791-6300 or by email at liz@adteamla.com. You can also see her upcoming training workshops calendar at http://bit.ly/workshopscal .