How to Create a Successful Business Community
Congratulations! You did it! You won another customer. And that is definitely worth celebrating. But do you have a plan of action to bring that happy customer around again for another sale? And then another? It took a lot of work to gain their trust. You don’t want to have to start that process all over again, from scratch, with someone new, do you? Of course not. This is why you need the magic of the sales funnel, a plan for ongoing customer care.
Ongoing Customer Care Starts with Following Up
But how do you gain a customer’s trust and then keep them as a customer? You follow up after the sale and continue to do so. It’s called building relationships. And it doesn’t end once you’ve won your customer.
How many times are you willing to follow up with a potential customer when they have expressed an interest in your product or service? This is where your plan of action needs to be in place, to keep your business and your products or services front and center in your customers’ minds.
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Building Relationships Starts with Email Marketing
Enter the email sequence, aka “the sales funnel.” But let’s start back at the beginning. Why do you even need an email list? Your email list is a virtual gold mine. You already have built-in credibility with this group. They’ve given you their personal email address and their valuable nod of permission to send them communication about your company, products, and services. They’re what the business world calls warm leads.
The likelihood of selling anything to a customer you’ve already won is drastically higher than selling something to a new prospect. Statistically speaking, you have less than a 20 percent chance of converting a new prospect into a customer. Compare that with a 70 percent chance of selling to an existing customer. There’s no comparison really.
Can see the enormous value in retaining a customer versus working to win a new one?
Customer Retention Starts with Ongoing Customer Care
And so we come full circle.
Your sales funnel should look like this:
1. Create Awareness: Offer something of value, a valuable freebie, an incentive to sign up for your email list.
2. Welcome Your New Subscriber: Send a welcome email with the freebie included (if it’s digital). This should happen promptly after they sign up for your email list, immediately if possible.
3. Offer a Bigger Freebie: Now that they’ve got a taste of what you have to offer, it’s time to offer something of even greater value, such as a free trial or a nice discount to encourage a sale.
4. Continue to Nurture Your Customer: Here’s where many drop the ball. “Once a customer always a customer!” Not so. It’s like dating. If you quit courting after the first date, you’re sending them to your competition. Nurturing means actively showing you care about and appreciate someone, even in business relationships.
To keep your customer in the desired “won” status, keep your lines of communication open. Continue to send them “exclusive” or “special” offers. This will show your customers the value of staying on your email list. Remember, your email subscribers are on average at least three times more likely to purchase from you than a prospect. You want to utilize that in your favor to the hilt!
Take Great Care of Your Customers
AWeber is the best software for creating systematic emails to nurture your email subscribers. You can create your own email templates with a drag and drop builder. And they offer the best customer service available with live over-the-phone help, not just by text.
Unless you want to start over every month with every new lead, you need to implement a great plan for customer care and customer retention. Continue to engage after the sale. Ask for feedback and send your email subscribers deals that let them know they’re special. They’ll thank you for it with another purchase and they’ll gladly tell their friends about you and the great deals they’re getting with you. Turn your customers into raving fans with ongoing customer care.
As the CEO of your own business, you don’t always have the time to create the marketing tools that grow your business. We’d love to help you create a marketing strategy for ongoing customer care. Contact Rockin’ Robin Virtual Assistance LLC at (307) 631-1867 or schedule a free consultation today.
Rockin’ Robin Virtual Assistance LLC
robin@rockinrobinva.com | (307) 631-1867
“For increased sales, measurable results, and the lifestyle you crave”
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