I’ve been asked a number of time how often a business should contact its customers. We’re not talking about announcing a sale or such, just general communications.
A business can lose anywhere from 20-50% of its customer base each year. Some of the population move every year, undergo a lifestyle change (lose their jobs, get divorced), die, are lured away by the competition or simply forget about you.
You cannot do much about the first three things, but by staying in touch with your customer base, you can very much limit the last two.
Now that you know the why, let’s get back to the how much. You should reach out as often as possible. At least once a month. If you can do once every 2 weeks to weekly, even better. Some businesses I know do so 2-3 times per week. It really matters how much your customers want to be contacted.
There are different ways to contact your customers and not be a pest. If you sent them emails or called them every day, soon you would be a pest. But if you sent them a monthly printed newsletter and maybe a funny monthly post card or greeting card such as a card on Tuesday, February 7, announcing that it’s Send a Card to a Friend Day, they’ll accept your contacts. You can send out weekly tips by email (like what I’m doing with this email).
Then there are birthdays, anniversary congratulations, thank yous and other events when cards can be sent. Email or mail clippings of news that might be of interest to your customers. The list is endless.
The real secret is to have a reason from their point of view to be contacting them. If you have something that they are interested in, then they will welcome you. If all you send them is junk, then they will tune you out and leave you as a customer.
Make sure you are a welcome guest not an unwanted pest.
Next week we will be unveiling our new S.M.A.R.T. System for reactivating past customers, keeping current customers and attracting more new customers than you can handle.
Till next week -Great Things Happen, But You Have To Take Action
Phil
The Freedman Co.
