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Client Retention Strategies That Work
The key to long-term business success is to implement customer relationship marketing in your business. This can contribute significantly to client retention. What does this mean? It means that your goal should be to change one time transactions into repeat transactions with clients over an extended period of time.
How to Increase Client Retention
To increase client retention, it's going to involve nurturing the relationship on an ongoing basis.
Do you have a beautiful garden that brings you pure delight on a day to day basis? Or have you ever visited Botanical Gardens and marvel at the order and beauty of the flowers and how well they are arranged to delight the senses?
It took hundreds of hours and months of nurturing and care to achieve those results.
The same is true of being able to increase client retention. It will take lots of time and effort, yet every moment is worth it.
Customer retention requires customers loyalty, and this loyalty must be demonstrated on a two-way basis. You, as the business owner, must demonstrate loyalty to your customers so that they, in turn, will reciprocate and become loyal customers and advocates of your business.
How is Client Retention Impacted by Relationship Marketing?
- Customer Relationship Marketing uses marketing activities that extend beyond basic advertising and promotions to build an emphasis on customer retention and satisfaction.
- The traditional route of advertising and promotions meant customers were being spoken to. Savvy, informed customers are no longer prepared to accept that. They want to be spoken with and have a say in the relationship with the business.
- Another benefit of Customer Relationship Marketing is that it goes further than typical market research. Using this strategy allows you to seek and collect feedback from existing customers. This produces more accurate data, as it's relevant to those whom you're serving and attempting to serve. You also get feedback on what's working now and what needs to be improved. This is priceless information because you're now able to find out, in real time what your customers needs and wants, as well as expectations, are and determine how you can best meet those needs, wants, and expectations.
- Customer Relationship Management is a strategy that organizes the company's customer base through several outlets and collects data useful to acquiring and maintaining new clients. Although similar in name, the practices of Customer Relationship Marketing and Customer Relationship Management are quite different.
Small businesses recognize that long-term customers spend more with them. They are less likely to switch to a competitor and are more open regarding price changes because they have had time to experience the personal level of customer care that you deliver. Clients are often willing to pay more as it's offset by the level of customer satisfaction they receive.
Because clients and customers are essential to every business, finding the best strategy to maintain strong reliable relationships is crucial. You thus increase client retention with client relationship marketing.
3 replies to "Increase Client Retention With Customer Relationship Marketing"
There is little doubt that building long-term relationships, whether that is in our personal lives or in our businesses, is key to the relationship being seen as successful for all parties involved. This really struck me as an important truth, Yvonne: “Customer retention requires customers loyalty, and this loyalty must be demonstrated on a two-way basis. You, as the business owner, must demonstrate loyalty to your customers so that they, in turn, will reciprocate and become loyal customers and advocates of your business.”
Life is give and take and as business owners, or entrepreneurs, we are all in a crowded online marketplace and you offer some really helpful tips to optimizing and building the customer relationships that last. Thank you!
Client relationship marketing is a very important topic that is often overlooked by business owners. There is no sustainable business without strong bonds with its customers. Great reminder, Yvonne, thank you!
Loved the comparison to a garden – a good reminder that the time and effort nurturing a good relationship with clients pays off in the long run. Great pointers!