Client retention is one of THE most important parts of your business, especially in a time when anxiety is high and spending power may be slightly decreased due to uncertainty in the marketplace.

Focusing on your customers, building the trust, loyalty and their confidence in you is hugely important to your bottom line. After all, it could be your most loyal customers who are seeing you through these slightly rougher seas.

Right now customers are acutely aware of how businesses are handling the current crisis, with those showing care, empathy and compassion emerging as leaders in their industry. Never has there been a better time to focus on your brand values, ethics (for both your customers and your staff) and your purpose.

Turning customers into loyal and raving fans is a process which we call ‘Ladder of Loyalty’ and it goes like this:

1. Initially you have Suspects. Suspects are clients/customers who you feel could potentially be interested in your products/services. To get them hooked think of ways to grab their attention. That could be great social media content, a blog, collaborating with another business, an event, an invitation to an event (the invitation itself could be just what they need, even if they can’t attend).

2. Suspects then turn to Prospects. Prospects are essentially Suspects who have shown interest in what you sell. They have taken the first step of engagement and seem warm to the idea of what they could buy from you. According to the book Never Lose A Customer Again by Joey Coleman a Prospect is in the ‘Assess’ phase at this point. “The customer is hopeful that you’ll be able to help, but it’s cautious optimism at best. If you don’t position yourself as fulfilling your needs while wrapping them in a great customer experience, they won’t choose to work with you. If you can convince them that you are the best choice, they will move forward with the purchase. This dance between customer and the organisation is what most people would refer to as “sales and marketing.” The potential customer is assessing their options.” – Joey Coleman.

3. Shoppers are not like a Customer. Shoppers are those who have invested once in your product or service. They have seen the value of what you do and handed over their cash. Here is when you can start the process of keeping your shoppers loyal to turn them into a client/customer. Let them know how much their custom means to you – if you are a relatively small business you could perhaps tell them how their custom affects you/your staff/your family. Bring your shoppers into the fold and make them feel valued and appreciated. This phase is usually where a customer can begin to doubt their decision to work with you – commonly known as ‘buyers remorse’. This is where your communication skills play a huge part and can re-affirm the initial feelings of euphoria and excitement which your customer felt at the start of their buying journey with you.

4. Next up is moving your Shoppers into Customers. Customers are those who have made multiple transactions with you. They have purchased your goods or services 2 or 3 times and they’re beginning to feel some form of loyalty to you. Often this will be because of a mixture of a few key elements such as pricing, communication, brand values and ethics, customer experience and locality. These Customers need nurturing. Could you offer them exclusive deals? Boden do this in the form of a £10 discount offer to those who regularly buy from them online. If you offer a service are there any critical non-essentials you can send them as a thank you for their custom – everyone loves an unexpected card and box of chocolates. If your business is a one time purchase (like weddings) then perhaps there are special offers or bundled packages you can offer for future milestones like birthdays/babies/special occasions. I’m sure there are many ways you can reward your local customers to turn them into…. (go to point 5.)

5. A member. Your Customers reach Member level once they are fully engaged with your business. Now they are more than a Customer. They are a friend of your business who actively believes in what you do/sell and has some deeper connection with you. Members feel a part of what you’re doing. At this stage you want to build this connection. Can you take them out for ‘member meals’, invite them to join you at events, give them a relationship manager so they can always deal with the same individual, who in turn will get to know and understand their needs to further build the relationship. Ask them when their birthday is and make sure you send them a postcard or little gift to make them feel special.

6. Nxt up is an Advocate. Once you start moving beyond the Member level you should be able to rely on your Advocates to help YOU market YOUR business. See what’s happened here – your clients/customers/members have turned into a marketing resource for your business as a result of all the time your have spent building your relationship with them. An Advocate is someone who will respond very positively when asked about their experience with your business. They will say things like ‘I would highly recommend them’, ‘You must work with them/buy their products’. ‘I wouldn’t know what I’d do without xxx, they have really helped me’. Word of mouth is THE most powerful form of marketing and it’s your Advocates that will do this for you. Advocates appreciate your level of customer service and they feel a strong connection to your business/your staff/you. The key to building Advocates is to stay connected with them. Keep in touch with them to see how they are doing and send regular exclusive offers/invitations. Maintain this level of service to keep them feeling loyal.

7. Finally we move to Raving Fans. Raving Fans are simply the best type of customer for any business. They have bought into what you do with such emotion and understanding that they want to spread the word about what they have found. They feel proud to buy from you/use your services and you have made their life so much better that they want to shout about you. If you have Raving Fans then you know how to keep your customers loyal! Just keep doing what you’re doing and MAINTAIN the level of service you offer them!

One final note – if you are serious about client retention and working out how you can best navigate your way to gaining more and more advocates then we’d highly recommend you to read ‘Never Lose A Customer’ by Joey Coleman. Read his first 3 chapters here – we’re pretty sure you’ll get hooked pretty quickly!

To find out more about how I may be able to help your Norfolk business thrive then please don’t hesitate to get in touch on 01603 559590 or email markwilliams@actioncoach.com – you can also get in touch through my contact form here. If you’d like to know a little more about my experience, expertise and accolades then click here.