What are some things you could be doing to keep your customers coming back for more?
Building a base of loyal customers can be challenging for a small business and can take some effort and creativity.
One simple thing you can start doing now is to start listening to and caring for your customers.
My husband is a small business owner and one evening not too long ago, he did something that really struck me. He had spent a long day at work, we had just finished dinner, and we were playing with the kids. His phone rang and he knew that it was a customer wanting to discuss something with him. Instead of silencing the call and going about the rest of his evening, he took the phone call and conversed with his customer for about 20 minutes. He sat most of the time listening. While the phone call didn’t end in a direct sale, the customer ended that phone call feeling heard, encouraged, and cared for- like he had been given the time of day- and longing to do more business with my husband. In other words, it ended with a happy customer with a reinforced sense of loyalty.
While it may not be feasible for you to sit down and talk to each customer for 20 minutes at a given time, how can you leave your customers feeling heard and cared for after having interactions with you? Make them feel special. Listen to them. Treat them respectfully. They are, after all, one very important key to a successful business.
For additional ideas on how to build a loyal customer base, this article from inc.com has some excellent ideas.
