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Loyal Customers Will Keep Coming Back and Your Business Will Thrive

March 30, 2010

It’s always easier to sell to an existing customer than to a new one.  So, small business owners are always looking to build a loyal customer base.  No matter what you sell, there are a number of strategies you can employ to maintain customer loyalty.  Here are a few ideas:

Maintain Expertise in Your Field 

Never stop learning about what you are selling.  It is key to your success that your customers perceive you as very knowledgeable in your industry.  Since information is so readily available on the Internet, customers are becoming more and more knowledgeable every day.  And no customer wants to know more than the “expert”.  So read the updates and take the courses you need to always be up to date on what’s going on in your industry.  Customers will stay loyal if you stay committed to lifelong learning. 

Make It A Priority To Resolve Customer Issues 

Customers rarely tell you straight out if they perceive an issue, so it is important to stay intuitive.  You could learn a lot by asking your customers periodically how their experience with your and your company has been and request suggestions for improvement that might make their situation even more enjoyable. 

The most important advice is to never point blame when you hear of a problem and use the SODDI defense (some other dude did it).  As the owner of your business, all problems end up with you, so take the blame up front gracefully.  Then, take action to fix it fast.  Customers are used to the SODDI defense and rarely encounter vendors who work fast to solve their problems.  Rather than remember the mistake, they will remember the pleasant resolution and give you their future business.  In fact, it is often that case that those “problem” customers often end up referring new business your way because of their satisfaction with your service. 

Remind the Customer Why They Chose You in the First Place 

This is no time to be humble; continually point out your advantages over your competitors, and praise your customer for being so perceptive and astute to choose you.  There isn’t a person alive who doesn’t like to be praised, and its the perfect opportunity to help them recall your competitive advantages at the same time. 

To create customers that remain loyal year after year, all you really have to do is treat them in such a way that all other competition falls far short in comparison.  Provide outstanding service to your customers day after day, and they will expect it as a matter of course.  That is when you have a loyal customer. 

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