How to increase customer loyalty

What secrets or tips do you have for increasing customer loyalty?

Thomas, by "customer loyalty" do you mean "repeat business?"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip Anderson

Thomas, by "customer loyalty" do you mean "repeat business?"

Not just repeat business but prospects sticking with you instead of jumping around from agent to agent when they're shopping around.

I think building customer loyalty is a matter of becoming a resource for you customer.

During discussions with my customers they tell me about needs and concerns and I often will tell them where they can find items they need that I don't provide.

Not so much in my current position but in past positions I have told customers where they can buy items I sell for less. For example, a customer who bought over $10000 worth of equipment from me needed to buy a couple wheelchairs.

At the time I sold carts and was the automatic go to person for carts. I told the customer where they could buy the wheelchairs for much less because I didn't want them to find out later that they my price was way above the market price on wheelchairs. If they had then they might start thinking that my cart price is out of line also and I didn't want them to shop around with my competitors.

I found that this helped me get the first call for items I already sell to customers and for new opportunities as well. In addition, they kept buying from me even if I was a higher price because I was a resource for them.

Good Selling!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thomas

What secrets or tips do you have for increasing customer loyalty?

OBLIGATION - however you want to develop it.

I noticed while selling shoes that the best way to gain clients was to be friendly, patient, and know/find out EXACTLY what the customer wants/needs.

Be genuine and listen to what your clients want or need, then figure out how to give them everything and then some. They'll stay by your side forever if you go that extra mile and really show you care!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ginac84

I noticed while selling shoes that the best way to gain clients was to be friendly, patient, and know/find out EXACTLY what the customer wants/needs.

Be genuine and listen to what your clients want or need, then figure out how to give them everything and then some. They'll stay by your side forever if you go that extra mile and really show you care!

I wish that was the case with our clients. A couple of weeks ago I worked with two sets of buyers and everything was clipping along beautifully. Unfortunately they kept shopping after our meeting and wound up buying homes in a different community.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thomas

I wish that was the case with our clients. A couple of weeks ago I worked with two sets of buyers and everything was clipping along beautifully. Unfortunately they kept shopping after our meeting and wound up buying homes in a different community.

Thomas, one thing is for certain: They continued shopping for a reason. There was some need that was unmet so they set out to get it satisfied. Identify what that need was and you'll have an idea of how to prevent it the next time!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip Anderson

Thomas, one thing is for certain: They continued shopping for a reason. There was some need that was unmet so they set out to get it satisfied. Identify what that need was and you'll have an idea of how to prevent it the next time!

I wish I could identify that need. I think people just like to keep looking around to see all of their options. How do I stop that? What should I say?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thomas

I wish I could identify that need. I think people just like to keep looking around to see all of their options. How do I stop that? What should I say?

Thomas,

(1) Shoppers to like to keep looking around.

(2) Status Quo Paralysis grips many shoppers. Even when they need something and know it, the status quo can have a grip on their buying actions. The solution is to build sales momentum. Everything in the sales interaction should be designed to build momentum. Many salespeople have "random customer service" interactions instead of "focused sales interactions" with their prospects.

(3) All people buy for a reason: to meet needs. If the salesperson fully understands the prospect's needs (both the over arching needs which I call Macro Needs, and the needs of the moment I call Micro Needs), he is more likely to show his prospect how his product can meet those needs.

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A few suggestions for questions to build sales momentum:

1. "What have you looked at out there in the marketplace that you've liked or not liked?"

2. "That's great you found something you liked. So I can understand your situations, would you please tell me why you didn't go ahead and purchase it?"

3. "What are you looking for in a widget?" (prospect answers). "If I can find a widget that does those things, how would you feel about purchasing my widget?"

4. "Why are you looking for a widget today instead of last year, or next year?"

5. "On a scale of 1 to 10, with ten being the highest, how well would you say this widget meets your needs? (customer says "7"). Describe what changes we would have to make to this widget to make it a '10'".

6. "If we find a widget that you love, and the price is acceptable to you, when would you want to take possession of your new widget?"

7. "Based upon what you told me, I'm going to show you a widget. All you need to do is give me a thumbs up or a thumbs down. The only thing I ask is that if you give it a thumbs down, you tell me why...is that fair?"

8. "When shopping for a widget, every customer has a list of 'musts'. What is on your lists of 'musts'?"

9. "So you've been looking for a widget for six months. How come you haven't purchased one yet? Is it the money or is it something else?"

10. "Should we write it up?" (I recently spend 2.5 weeks with a client company doing ride-alongs with their salespeople on actual sales appointments. In only one interaction of the 20 did the salesperson actually ask the prospect to buy).

Thomas, I don't fully understand your situation, so I don't know how well the suggestions above fit it. It's a given that the questions above may not fit your situation exactly, but I'm just trying to give you some ideas to work with.

If you use questions like these, and you have a high degree of likability and helpfulness during your questioning, you should be able to get to the bottom of what your prospects need.

How to increase customer loyalty

Customer Service Forum