By Keena Smith
Customer retention isn’t just about making a sale—it’s about ensuring customers keep coming back. The first 90 days after a purchase are critical for transforming first-time buyers into loyal repeat customers.
Oftentimes businesses lose customers without realizing it. If you’re struggling with retention, ask yourself these five key questions:
1. Am I spending more resources trying to gain new customers than I do satisfying current customers?
Are you delighting your customers and clients after their purchase the way you courted them while you were attracting and nurturing them. Striking a balance between delighting your customer prior to the sale and after the sale takes strategic intention (aka a plan). In today’s “attention economy” customers need continuing assurance that they have made the right decision in trusting you rather than your competition.
2. Is My Customer’s First Experience Remarkable?
Your customer experience is your biggest competitive advantage. If customers feel ignored, rushed, overwhelmed, or that you are inconsistent you risk not being able to retain them. Personalization and small touches matter. It why validating your ideal client is critical to your success.
3. Am I Providing Enough Communication After the Sale?
When a customer makes a purchase with you, they may not know how to get the most out of it. If they don’t use or enjoy their product or service, they won’t return. When you allow friction to fester, you’ll lose them. Helping your client expand usage or the benefits of your service, product, consulting is hugely important.
4. How Do I Know If I am Meeting My Customers Expectations?
If a product meets your customers’ expectations or provides the desired results- that is only the first step. Your goal must be to exceed the customers' needs with over delivery. Too many great buying experience become their only buying experience because of lack of a system for post-purchase follow up.
5. Do My Customers Tell Me They Feel Appreciated?
For customers to express their love and appreciation, they need a way and a place to do that. People are busy. If the opportunity to make a testimonial is not asked of them and easily accessible it will be skipped all together.
Final Thought:
Businesses thrive when you find the balance between building on long-term customer relationships and attracting new customers. If you answered “no” or “I’m not sure” to any of these questions, it’s time to improve your retention strategy.
Join me on Thursday March 19th at noon via Zoom for Never Lose Another Customer. I’ll share a 5-step framework to build your customer retention strategy- quickly and sustainably. Plus additional resources to help you implement the strategies.
Register here. Use your member passcode. Not yet a member? Join for free here. This month you can share your passcode so your friends can use your discount too.
• They Not Like Us Wellness Jam with Fatima Bouyer, LaTanya Settles & Shannon Weikert | Monday March 17 | Noon | In-person
• Advance AI Training with Whitney Barkley | Monday March 24| Noon| In-person
• Women’s History Month Aspire Cash Crew @JM Botanicals | Saturday March 29| Noon | In-person
• Aspire Women’s Book of Business Book Release | Wednesday May 7 | 4:30pm| In-person