Retaining your customers should be as high a priority as generating leads and converting prospects, especially when you consider just how valuable a loyal customer is to a brand.
- It can cost five times as much to attract a new customer than to retain one.
- The probability of selling to an existing customer is 60-70%. The probability of selling to a prospect is 5-20%.
- Existing customers are 31% more likely to spend more money compared to a prospect.
However, several things can impede customer retention. Here are four common problems and ways to resolve them.
1. Problem: Your brand has poor customer service
Rude or unhelpful employees, the inability to answer questions and transferring customers from person to person without addressing complaints are all examples of poor customer service. Customers may find your brand too frustrating to work with and avoid purchasing from you again.
Solution:
Retrain your employees so everyone is empowered to offer complete customer service and problem solving. If necessary, redefine and clarify their roles so your whole team has a better understanding of how to and who should address customer concerns.
2. Problem: You’re not in sync with your customers
How well you understand your customers drives everything, including product development, customer service and operations, as well as the timing, frequency, location and messaging in your ads. Your marketing will lack impact unless you connect with your audience the right way.
Solution:
Research your customers using surveys to create personas that reveal customers’ goals and pain points. Determine how receptive they are to your advertising and consider offering loyalty programs and other perks to incorporate into your messaging. Proprietary data from services like RigDig and EDA provides insight into your customers’ purchasing habits, demographics and more that will help you understand their needs and purchase patterns.
3. Problem: You’re making it hard for customers to find the value
Value is much more than a battle between quality and cost. A customer comes to your brand to address pain points, meet goals and find a product or service that consistently delivers. If you don’t deliver, one of your competitors will.
Solution:
Promote your unique point of difference over your competitors, whether it is a better warranty, training videos that help customers use your tools or any awards or recognitions that build trust in your brand. Show your value up front. The more satisfied they are with their first purchase, the more likely they are to return.
4. Problem: You spend more effort on prospects than your existing customers
If all of your time and resources go to lead generation and converting prospects, then your existing customers will feel underserved and will see no reason for loyalty. In fact, 68% of customers that leave a company do so because they feel the brand doesn’t care about them.
Solution:
Anticipating the needs of your customers and developing a contact strategy shows you care about them and are thankful for their purchase. Follow up after a purchase to make sure they are satisfied, and make note of any service intervals they may have in the future so you can proactively offer your maintenance services.
Conclusion
Because of how valuable customer retention is to your brand, you need to be aware of all the things that might be costing you customers. Loyal customers spend more money and purchase more often than new customers, so retaining them should be a high priority for your business.
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