Imagine a pool of people that need your product. They've stuck their hands up and said "Yes! I want that." They've even proven that they have the money to spend. Oh... and they trust you to deliver on your promises.
Think this pool is impossible to find? Think again... and the pool might be sitting right under your nose. All you have to do is look at your...
Past customers
It's amazing to me how many business owners focus so much time and energy on winning new business that they forget about the customers they've already obtained. For some reason, it's a common practice to ignore current customers when we think of creating a new marketing campaign.
Your instant sales boost
If you aim a marketing campaign at your current and past customers your sales will increase... it's as simple as that. Providing, of course, that you haven't been annoying and frustrating your customers for years! But if you've been keeping your customers happy then they have every reason to buy from you again.
So why don't we market to current customers?
For some reason it's been drummed into our heads that once a customer has purchased from us then they'll come back and do it again on their own free will. The problem with this is... your customers are busy people. If you really think they're going to make a priority to buy from you again and again then you better have something they're desperate to have.
However, if you're like most businesses, it's hard to create that kind of desire in your customers... unless you're actively marketing to them. You need to fight for every sale whether you like it or not. It's a business eat business world out there.
Because if your customers aren't buying from you regularly, they're buying from someone else. Now this might not even be your competitor, but they're spending their money somewhere. And in the current economic climate do you really want your customers giving their money to someone else?
You've got to fight... for the right... to keep your customers!
Right now, you're losing your customers' money to a whole range of other businesses. The DVD store just missed out on a rental because their customer spent too much money at the pub this week. The gardener lost a lifetime client because the grocery shopping is more expensive.
These trade-offs are happening all over the place, whether you like it or not. And it's your responsibility as a business owner to stop it. After all, if you're not making sales... you'll be having a going out of business sale instead.
So the DVD store wants to get their customer to get the rental and decide not to go out next Monday night. The gardener wants the client to cut back on hairdressing expenses instead. You want to make your business a worthy cause for your customers' money.
Make a plan and just do it
Work out how often your customers should be buying from you and create a marketing campaign to make sure they do. It could be anything from a friendly reminder to a special offer. Create another campaign for customers that haven't bought in a long time as well.
Your sales figures will thank you for it.
