Re-engage with your customers

Recently I’m finding a big focus of clients is how to make the most of the opportunities that will come as the economy reopens. Many of them are new businesses who have started over the last year and are now chomping at the bit to get really started on their new enterprise. But many others are existing businesses who are now starting to move from a period of survival to one of growth as pent-up demand becomes actual demand.

The first step in this should be to touch base with your existing customers and make sure they are staying with you.  It is far cheaper to keep existing customers than to try and win new ones.  They could also represent more rapid business as they are already familiar and comfortable with your product or service. So what are the best steps to achieve this.

1. Apply the 80:20 rule. Generally, you will find 20% of your customers will contribute 80% of your business. Make sure to give these 20% special attention. At the very least these should be the first to be contacted and should receive personalised communications rather than mass mailings etc.
2. Engage with them on social media.  If they are active on social media, make sure you follow them and support their activities there. This shows a willingness to engage and support their efforts at reopening. Don’t make it fawning or obviously sucking up for a hidden purpose.
3. And of course, if your customers are the general public then it won’t be possible to engage with them one by one. This is where your social media campaign comes in.  Use your social media accounts to offer special offers or promotions. Hold competitions. Talk about the work you are doing to make your premises covid ready.  I see many of my favourite hotels and restaurants are very active on doing this at the moment and every time I see one of their posts, I recall the great times spent there in the past and resolve to make a booking with them in “Staycation 2021”.
4. Look at this as an opportunity to introduce things like a loyalty programme that can not only bring them back once but will make them remember to keep coming back.  I was in one shop this week that gave customers a new loyalty card at checkout. Every purchase over €30 got a stamp and the 5^th purchase would get a 20% discount. A nice new idea by them.
5. E-mail the customers.  E-mail them to remind them that you are still here. Perhaps introduce new products or services you are now offering. They may have many things on their minds with their own ramping up and an e-mail from you could be the prompt to deal with something on their to-do-list.
6. Phone them.  A phone call to check in can be very appreciated (if they are not too busy).  It is hard to do this for every customer but certainly your top 20% should be on your call list.  Make the conversation about them and their needs.
7. Visit them.  This may still be a difficult one to achieve. But it is one that should be done if possible especially for key customers. Bring something to remind them of you and your company. A branded pen is cheap but effective.  And remember in the post covid world people will be reluctant to share pens etc. They will want pens that are easily identifiable as their own in a busy office.  A branded pen often fills that niche.