- Reach out to your past customers through email, direct mail, text with a “We miss you” message, offering some type of deal or promotion if they’ll come back. Do this every 2-3 months until they are a regular customer with you again or they tell you to stop. Then just reply back “We are here for you when you are ready, thank you”. Leave it at that “for now”. 🙂 Try again at Christmas or other special sales periods.
2. Make sure your website, blog page, business page are UP TO DATE. Make sure you have hashtags in your bio/about section, etc. Make sure you are always using your business name, your personal name and what you sell or offer as a hashtag.
3. Participate in community events and set up tables with your items you sell, brochures, business cards, samples, fliers. Have a way to collect info on everyone who visits your table. I sell AVON I filled a clear glass wine goblet with little mini lipsticks (use whatever you want-M&M’s, Marbles, lip balms, etc. The possibilities are endless here. Then have a mini sign in front that says “guess how many and win”. You decide what they win. Discount, free products and so on. Now, most importantly you need to have slips of paper for them to write their name, address, email, phone number. As much info as they will give you. Don’t forget to leave an area for their guess. Tell them you will contact them if they are a winner. This is a great time to strike up a conversation with them. Start by letting them know you are rewarding 5 guesses to the closest as well. Again, you decide that prize.
4. Have a home party at your house or ask your customers to have parties. Then have those invited to bring a friend. Reward the invited guest and their friend or friends. Also, reward who brings the most friends. Don’t forget to get the info of EVERYONE at these parties.
5. Partner with other businesses. Ask to leave business cards and samples (if your business has samples). If a small business maybe do something for the employees. Take in some doughnuts. Make friends/customers there, too. Take some of their business cards to distribute out as well.
6. Ask your established customer base for referrals. Reward your established customer if their friend orders. You choose how to reward but don’t hurt your pocket book lol.
7. Speaking of established customers sometimes they get left out and then feel unappreciated. You do not want them taking their business to someone else, right? Send them a discount coupon or promotion code. Get them to spend more by offering discounts on higher spendings.
8. Know your customers. To me this is probably one of, if not the most important thing to keep your customers. Know important things about your customers: birthdays, anniversaries, new baby or grandbaby. Send them a personal message by text, email, snail mail, something. Just let them know you care by remembering.
9. Use attractive packaging. Not everyone can do this one but again I am an AVON lady so I put pretty tissue paper in the top of the bags with AVON deliveries. I also give my customers “sweets”. Candy of all sorts. Depending on the season or holiday.
10. Make it right. If there is a problem with your goods or service. Make it right as quickly as possible. Ask them first and foremost. What is the best way I can make this right for you? Then do your best to do just that or offer something close to it. Just make it right.
Tillettville Beauty Homesteading 