How to build lasting customer relationships
Tools & Resources
Key learnings
- Getting to know your customers can help tailor your interactions and offerings to meet their specific needs, including giving you ideas for new products and services.
- Using your customer research and listening to their feedback will help you provide an exceptional service that keeps customers coming back.
- Encourage engagement with your business by offering incentives and rewards such as a loyalty programme and build a community around your business.
As a business owner, having loyal customers who return time and time again is essential to your success. Loyal customers are more likely to purchase from your business, refer others to your business, and provide valuable feedback that can help you improve your products or services. However, building lasting customer relationships takes effort and strategy. In this article, Sales and Management Consultant David Broom explores five techniques for creating loyal customers.
You don’t need to wait for problems such as flagging revenue, high returns or poor conversion to arise before you focus on improving customer loyalty.
Adding some simple techniques to continually build relationships with your customers – and regularly reviewing how things are going – can make a big difference to your sales pipeline.
Satisfied loyal customers bring you repeat business, referrals and improved profitability. Who doesn’t want that?
Click each heading to read the techniques and tips.
1
Get to know your customers
By taking the time to get to know your customers, you can tailor your interactions and offerings to meet their specific needs and preferences.
- Get to know your customers by asking questions, conducting surveys, and tracking their purchasing habits.
- Personalise your interactions with your customers by using their names, remembering their preferences, and recognising their milestones.
2
Provide exceptional customer service
Providing exceptional customer service can create a positive impression of your business and increase customer satisfaction.
- Respond promptly to customer enquiries and concerns.
- Resolve customer issues quickly and effectively.
- Go the extra mile to exceed customer expectations.
3
Offer incentives and rewards
Offering incentives and rewards can encourage customers to choose your business over competitors.
- Create a loyalty programme that offers rewards and incentives for repeat business.
- Offer exclusive promotions and discounts to your loyal customers.
- Provide early access to new products or services.
4
Foster a sense of community
Fostering a sense of community can increase customer engagement and satisfaction, build brand awareness, and encourage repeat business.
- Engage with your customers on social media and other online platforms.
- Host events and meetups that bring customers together.
- Encourage customers to share their experiences and provide feedback.
5
Continuously improve your products or services
Continuously improving your products or services can give customers reason to buy upgraded versions and stay with your company.
- Solicit and act on customer feedback to continuously improve your products or services.
- Stay up-to-date with industry trends and customer preferences.
Building lasting customer relationships takes effort and strategy. By knowing your customers, providing exceptional customer service, offering incentives and rewards, fostering a sense of community, and continuously improving your products or services, you can create loyal customers who return time and time again.
Next steps...
- Invest in customer research to get to know your customers better and consider how you could personalise your interactions with them.
- Pick three of the techniques to focus on implementing or improving in this financial year and build them into your plans.
- If you want tailored advice to make it easier to build customer loyalty for your business, book a call with David.