Small and medium sized businesses can be made considerably more profitable with customer care systems. If you maintain regular contact with your loyal clients your business will be more profitable. Nearly all SME’s do not sustain consistent contact with their previous clients. It has to be the most disregarded part of marketing currently available. This is a MASSIVE mistake as it is the one aspect of marketing with the highest return on investment. It is of no surprise to hear then that most businesses close down within the first year. If you aren’t currently filing your previous subscribers contact details then you should be ashamed. An up-to-date database of paying clients is an extremely helpful asset to ANY business.
Your business will also gain an advantage from an increase in the selling price (if you were ever to put it up for sale), with a current roll of your previous customer’s. There is much intrinsic value based in a companies’ roll of previous subscribers and even more so in the methods which were initially employed to obtain those clientele. The true power of the catalog is in it’s capability to produce continual sales very rapidly and effortlessly. Before you spend any money on pricey complex roll software, I’d recommend trying out an excel database first as it’s free and performs all of the fundamental functions you’ll need. It is amazing how many business owners still shell out for pricey database software when a plain old excel database has the capability to carry out all of the required jobs and functions that a small business needs. You can also contract with any of the many local or online services to manage your register on your behalf, although I’d advise starting your own excel database and managing it yourself. One of the main advantages of doing your own excel record is that you’ll learn a great deal about register administration.
Developing your excel database correctly from the start will save you plenty of time and hassle in the long run. It’s essential to set up your excel catalog properly to steer clear of any costly mistakes down the road. Now that you have your old customers on a roll the most important task from here is to keep in contact with them. There are methods in which to utilize your roll; email and direct mail. Both are useful and can produce huge results. Envision for a moment that your local cafe was sending you useful bulletins, Christmas cards and discount coupons. The next time you had to go out somewhere to eat who do you assume you would consider first? It’s a simple decision really, the most obvious option and foremost in your thoughts would be the deli that remained in contact with you.
You’d be mad not to. It is a universal truth of human nature that we react to personal contact and acknowledgment. Wise business owners remain in contact with their loyal customers for this very reason. Top your past clients expectations and you will be remembered forever! So, how do you get these particulars? Well, one of quickest ways is to get them to write it down and hand it to you by way of a prize draw or competition. Make sure the prize enticing or else your sign-up rate won’t be good. The next month it might be a few days away at a quaint B & B or whatever.
All you have to do is carry out a new promotion each month. It’s that easy. Keep at it time and time again and watch your excel database grow.