5 Hacks to Retain Customers for your New Start-up
This article is written by Brian Malika, a Contributor Author at Startup Istanbul.
First Hack: Smile! Smile! Smile!
The first impression matters a lot on whether the customer will come back. And so does the last one. Therefore at the first point of interacting with your customers, make sure you offer smile first while exchanging pleasantries.
If your business is online, then it would be important to come up with interactive tools that ignite the sense of smiling to the new customer every time they log in. Also, when the transaction is over, finish with a smile.
Smiling is a message of goodwill and it relaxes the emotions of your customers and makes them feel safe. This gesture of smiling will get into the sub-conscious mind of your customers and they will surely think of coming back next time.
Second Hack: Talk to your customers on general issues
While in the business transaction with your new customers, either through the process of offering a service or packaging their goods, it is wise to spark a conversation on general issues. This could be about the day’s weather or even complement their outfit.
Make sure that you don’t talk about the sensitive topics about politics and the likes. While in that process ask the customer what they liked and if they have any concerns. This idea of engaging in a dialogue with your new customers makes them feel noticed.
If your business is online, you can come up with digital tools that specifically mention the customer's names or talking about the weather where they are based at the moment.
Don’t just offer a service or product. Go ahead and appeal to the social and emotional aspect of your customer.
Third Hack: Offer tokens to the first time customers
For every first time customer that shows at your business whether online or not, make sure that you appreciate their consciousness to choose your business. This should not just be a verbal message. Go ahead and write them a card and post to their residence if possible saying how you valued their presence.
If you're online you could offer them a substantial amount of points for signing up with your business for the first time which they could renew later.
You can also have a piece of chocolate or fruit being offered to all the first time customers. Never let the first time customers go unappreciated and they will feel the need to be part of your business automatically.
Fourth Hack: Be Human
Do not wait for a complain to be forged formally by your new customers during their first experience. But as a matter of fact, generate the habit of identifying and approaching all the first time customers to ask them how they feel about your products or services including the delivery process.
And in case you get a complain, be quick to apologize and note the same concern down with a commitment to improving.
Fifth Hack: Get a Database for all your new customers
Try to have a system that can have the database for all your first-time customers. Well, if your business is online then that would be easy.
However, if your business is not online, then you might be required to politely any willing first-time customer to leave their contacts so that you can always follow up on them in regards to bettering the service delivery.
Having a database for your new customers is very effective in following up on them to inform about new offers if whenever they will come back.
Make Use of the First time visits
Make sure that you give your best attention and service to the first time customers for your business. Let that experience remind them about your business over and over again whenever they think about shopping.
You don’t have to incur huge costs to make the first time visits by your customers to be memorable. Sometimes you just have to smile and listen to what the customers are saying on their first visit.
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