Eight ways how to get repeat sales

Winning repeat business with a good product or service may be enough to keep customers coming back but if you work on these 8 points from The Business Minder it can be even more rewarding. When you have to go out and look for new customers every time you want to make a sale and you have to start at the beginning of the sales cycle its heavy on your costs. If you already have a paying customer who knows and trusts your service it's a lot faster and easier to make a repeat sale. Your business cannot grow on existing customers alone. You have to continuously expand your customer base and effectively convert your first time customers to become repeat customers. Winning repeat business is not always that straight forward. Things can go wrong and there may be unforeseen consequences along the way. The Business Minder can step in to help. Are you ready to increase the possibility of making another sale? I’m going to help you make sure that your customers keep coming back. Here are a few ideas from The Business Minder notebook for you to consider

Reliability

Influence your customers with dependable customised services or product design. First impressions are as important as your shop window or welcome mat. If you don’t get it right the first time you sell to a your customer, they won’t buy from you again, so a great first impression is crucial. Ensure that your standards and presentation are impeccable. Great brand packaging really works too. Contact me for examples. Look at developing the quality and reliability of your products and services and fine tuning them to increase sales.

Personalise

To win repeat business remember the all important people dimension. Don’t be afraid to be personal with your customers. Customer relationships take work before, during, and after a sale. Encourage each and every employee to get out, interact directly with customers and find their own unique way to provide an outstanding personal experience. Make a note of the concerns of your customers and improve your product or service based on your customers’ feedback. If you can, give your customers a call back and try to ensure that their product concerns have been resolved. It will make them feel that you care.

Right First Time

Create a brilliant service experience for your client the very first time. Adding an outstanding personal experience will cement your customer relationships. It's undoubtedly the most profitable and effective way of adding to your bottom line. Your business is probably offering a product or service so you should train and script conversations for your staff working directly with customers. If you run a large hotel or restaurant you will have a greater opportunity for your staff to interact with customers. When they have face to face contact with your customers, staff enthusiasm and a happy disposition will go a long way. Every staff member involved in aspects of customer contact, however minimal, should be trained to interact comfortably and politely with your customers. Why? Because people bond with other people. Then they show their appreciation through repeat business and by talking about their experience with others. Great for your bottom line.

Exceed Expectations

Ensure that your marketing team don't exceed their limits when promoting your business to win a sale. Under promise, over deliver. Meeting expectations is important. When you consistently meet and exceed your customers’ expectations you can be sure that your customers will keep coming back for more. Don't offer a 10 page menu that slows down your delivery service. Keep it simple and make your products and services something so special that people would drive 2 hours to enjoy.

Value Adding

Bundle together a range of services or products into a value package.​ Look at selling services that require maintenance, or monthly work. The effort required to make a one off sale or a sale that needs 2 or 3 months worth of maintenance is mostly the same. A hotel reservation for a week with a bonus costs the same to secure as one for a day. The difference to your bottom line is huge. Therefore, it makes sense that most of your focus should go toward selling these services.

Create Loyalty

You want your repeat customers who bring in other customers. They are the life line of your business. To build that kind of security, you have to build post sale relationships with them even after their payment has been approved. Look at incentives that'll appeal to your client. Offer unexpected bonuses or discount codes to returning customers. Think about how you can promote complimentary services. Free gifts, promotions and discounts are always welcome and can often drive home the sale. Generosity can go a long way and make a positive impact on your bottom line.

Social Media and emails

Know how to keep in touch with your customers. It’s important that you know their email addresses or phone numbers, so that you can constantly communicate with them. Keep your email list healthy by sending them information relevant to them. Don’t just send them sales pitches or product demos. Send out reminder notes. Get personal. Make them feel that you know them and that you care about them.

Referrals

One of the most critical post sale mistakes is to assume that your job is done once you make the sale. Call the customer to say thank you and find out if they're pleased with your product or service. Ask them for more business. What if I told you that you can turn that one sale into repeat sales to grow your business? When you’ve got customers coming back, those customers can refer you to new customers.

Paying attention to your existing customers, no matter how small they are, is essential to keeping your business thriving. The more times a customer buys from you, the more they will come to trust and you and so the value of their purchases will go up, not down. The Business Minder is a consulting business analyst and manager operating in south east Asia with clients in Singapore and Bali, Indonesia.