4 Strategies for Getting Your Customers to Buy More Often

Posted by AndyM on July 12, 2010 under Business Growth | Be the First to Comment

Not only can inspiring your customers to buy from you more often reward you with higher profits, it can also translate to more predictable income.  Here are just a few tips for compelling your clients or customers to come back more frequently.

1. A time-limited incentive — ever get a pizza delivered? What is attached to the box? Usually, you will find both a menu and a coupon to buy your NEXT pizza.  The coupon, of course, isn’t valid forever — they put an expiration date on it. So you haven’t even eaten the pizza you just ordered, and they are already planting the seed for your next purchase! How can you apply this idea to your business?
2. A loyalty program — the above strategy works great for many types of businesses (you will have to put your own twist on it) but your client is probably inundated with offers from your competitors as well. How should our pizza shop combat coupon overload? Reward loyalty. In its simplest form all they would have to do is offer a free pizza for every X number ordered (“buy 9 and the 10th is free!”).  Now when holding coupons from two different pizza places, our shop owner’s clients are likely to come back again and again because their loyalty is rewarded.
3. Verify the benefit of the last purchase — you probably hear it all the time, the key is in the follow up.  But how can you call again without being a nuisance? Well your first follow up call should be to verify that your client is truly receiving the benefit of your product or service.  Delivering the computer or painting someone’s living room is not the end.  WHY did they want your product or service? After some time has passed, pick up the phone and find out if they got what they wanted.  Are they now more productive with the faster computer? Do they feel better about inviting guests to their home because of their great-looking living room? Follow up to make sure your clients are truly realizing the benefits of their purchase, and you’ll likely stir up more sales.
4. Subscription or membership — would your clients benefit from an ongoing service from your business? What if you could stop chasing them to make additional sales and instead have regular revenue on a monthly or quarterly basis that you could count on? List the kinds of ways your product or service could be used regularly, then look around you for subscription ideas.  They are everywhere: wine clubs, retainer-based consulting services, maintenance services, product replenishment, etc.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. The goal? Strengthening your relationships with your best clients, while delivering more value and receiving more business in the process.  Additional ideas?  Please share!