February, the month of love, is just about over! I hope you spent some time this month falling in love with your business again – and figuring out ways to get your ideal client to fall in love with you and your business, too.
This month of love, we’ve spent quite some time talking about how we date our ideal client. But, there’s one step in our Dating Your Ideal Client method that I feel gets overlooked all too often by so many business owners. It’s really something that, when done well, can catapult your business to six figures, seven figures, or beyond! Many business owners don’t even think about it. Yet, it’s the one thing that really makes your business special and unique.
What is it I’m talking about? Keeping the romance alive!
This part of a relationship is often forgotten about in both our personal and professional lives. If you’ve ever failed to keep the romance alive in your personal relationship, you know exactly how that neglect can cause loads of problems in your life. Likewise, neglecting this important area in your business can cause major issues there, too.
The vast majority of businesses, with their marketing, focus on customer or client acquisition. Only a few really focus on retaining previous customers.
The reality is this – your business can achieve a much higher rate of return from repeat customers.
Keeping the romance alive with your current customers and clients is simply easier, cheaper, more efficient, and more convenient to you.
How to Keep the Romance Alive!
I talk a lot about your one thing. You know, that one thing you do exceedingly well – better than anyone else? And, how to capitalize on that one thing in your business. I also talk a lot about knowing your ideal client inside and out. Both of those are key in keeping the romance alive.
Today, I want to share with you three additional areas where you can focus to help keep the romance alive with your clients and customers.
Customer Experience (after they buy)
Think about it, do your customers have the highest level of experience after they purchase from you? I’m talking beyond simply purchasing and receiving their product or service.
What does your onboarding process look like? Do your clients and customers feel well taken care of? Do they feel valued by your business?
Customer experience really influences how your clients and customers will relate to you and to your business going forward. That first step in connecting with your customers and clients needs to be high-end.
The Full Customer Journey
When you think about your business, most of the time, you’re going to focus funds and attention on your newest clients and customers. But, it’s important to know and understand from your clients where they need to go and how you can help to get them there after the initial step.
You need to create a full journey for your customers and clients with you! One where they can grow and as they do, you have the next thing they need. If you only have a product or service that serves beginners, when they are no longer a beginner, they’re going to go and find the person who can take them to that next step. And, that won’t be you. If you already provide that next step, they are much more likely to take it with you than trying out someone new.
Retention Marketing
This involves marketing efforts that are focused on retaining your current customers and ascending them to the next level of your business. Keep in mind that customers are so much more likely to buy from a person or a business that they’ve already purchased from. So, once someone purchases your one-dollar offer, they are far more likely to purchase your five-dollar offer, and then your ten-dollar offer, too.
Don’t assume, your full marketing budget needs to be geared towards current customers and clients. In fact, the majority of your marketing budget should be headed towards customer acquisition. However, when you break down your marketing budget, make certain that you have a portion of the budget allocated for keeping the romance alive!
The bottom line, it is more cost-efficient for you, as a business owner, to sell to your already established customers and clients than it is to acquire new customers and clients.