Thursday, July 3, 2008

How To Create Lifetime Customers

By Theo McLanahan

Customers are tremendously important to all business owners. Without customers, there would be no income and, subsequently, no business. Individuals that buy things from a company are afterwards more likely to return there to buy again.

Establishing long term relationships with clients is a good practice for companies to adopt. Instead of working hard to always find some new customer, putting forth effort to keep loyal customers coming back will wind up being more financially beneficial in the end.

Creating quality products is definitely the first step in developing your customer relationship. If your products are anything less than great, your customers will not see a reason to order from you again. However, if you give them something beyond their expectations, they will want to try out more of what you offer.

After ensuring that your product is of the highest quality, work to put your company's customer service on the same level. Respond quickly to customers, especially if they have contacted you with complaints. Customers don't care how busy you may be or what other responsibilities you have; they want to receive a timely reply and expect your undivided attention.

Staying in regular contact with your customer will ensure that they remember you and the other products and services you offer. People get busy and have a lot of things on their plate. They may have intended to order an additional item from you, but it just slipped their mind. You may want to send out a monthly newsletter to keep them updated on new items or any specials you are offering.

A great way to motivate repeat purchases from old customers is holding "customer only" sales. Taking their previous purchases into consideration, you may be able to offer some kind of gift or special deal that coincides with their specific needs.

For example, if you sell day planners and you are coming out with a time management audio, send the customers who have bought a planner a free small report that covers some basic information about time management and let them know you are coming out with an audio that goes into more detail. Including a special "pre-launch price" on the audio will encourage further sales.

Creating a lifetime customer doesn't happen overnight. It is a process that can take time. If you consistently show your appreciation and respect to your customers, you will be well on your way to creating lifetime relationships with them.

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