Build Customer Loyalty through Improved Communication

By Allan Pulga

Making a sale is only half the battle for a cellular retailer. Ensuring that a satisfied customer comes back to the buy again – and refers your business to his/her friends and family – is the other half.

Surprisingly, many retailers neglect to keep the post-sale chain of communication intact. Using the proper follow-up techniques, you can build customer loyalty and drive repeat business everyday. Paul Lemberg, business coach and Businessknowhow.com columnist, suggests these seven ways to stay in touch with your customers.

1. Find out how customers are using your products. “Call them casually or conduct formal surveys,” says Lemberg. “Visit and observe them in action. Track their online behaviour. Look for ways to enhance the value they get from you.”

Cellular retailers can follow-up on products and services asking questions such as:

• How is that new phone working for you?
• What do you like or dislike about the phone?
• Have you been using any of the phone’s multimedia capabilities?
• Would you recommend your current phone to friends or family?
• Next time you come in, what would you like to see at the store? (See #4)

2. Put yourself in front of your customers. “User groups, conventions, conferences, road shows, tours, online forums, and even interactive webcasts are viable ways to create a two-way free flowing dialogue. Give customers a deeper understanding of how you help them, and find out what’s on their minds so you can serve them even better. For high-end, big-spending customers, schedule an annual review or strategy meeting to set the agenda and lock them in.”

3. Publish a valuable newsletter. “Most newsletters are filled with self-serving drivel about the company,” says Lemberg. “Who cares who got promoted, or that you just had a wonderful company picnic? Fill your newsletter with stimulating ideas, case studies and practical tips that are of value to your customers and help them do better business.”

A successful newsletter is frequent and consistent. So publish often – once or twice a month – and keep it on schedule, he adds.

4. Ask your customers the magic question: What would you like to buy from us, if only we’d offer it to you? “Do this yourself or outsource it,” insists Lemberg. “Either way, these answers are like customer retention gold.”

5. Keep your product and service offerings fresh. “Keep upgrading and adding on, and announce to your customers that you are doing so.” This is especially important in cellular retail, where customers often seek out the hottest new technologies.

6. Make special offers to your special customers. “And all your existing customers are special. Give them special offers and loyalty discounts that plain, new customers can’t get. Make sure they know it is only for them.”

7. Revive the art of the handwritten note. “In this age of hyper-convenient e-mail and instant messaging, a handwritten note acknowledges the nature of the recipient. There’s just no way to duplicate the one-to-one feeling a note will create. Do this and you could have the customer for life!”