Kaylee Riley — May 31, 2017 Your current clients are extremely important. They’re already paying you for products and services. And, they are likely happy with your offerings, especially if they’ve been long-term customers.
If you aren’t marketing to existing customers, you’re missing an easy, low-cost source of making more sales. Getting more business from existing clients doesn’t have to be a difficult chore. Learn how to increase revenue from existing customers with these seven easy steps.
7 Steps to getting more referrals:
1. Add value
You can add value to your products or services by sharing your knowledge with your client. You can provide resources that will help customers use your service or related information to help them better their businesses.
You might do something as simple as sending regular email newsletters. You could start a blog where clients can read and search for information. Or, you can offer larger resources, such as PDF guides and ebooks.
When you share your knowledge, your customers will trust you more and begin to see you as an authority in your subject matter. As they respect you, they are more likely to stay with your business longer, purchase more, and improve your business’s bottom line.
2. Build relationships
Every customer should feel like they have a special relationship with you.
Get to know each of your customers. What are their problems? What solutions do they need? What stresses them? You can mention the things you learn about your clients to build one-of-a-kind connections.
When you reach out to clients, use personalization. Don’t use generic templates or scripts. Cater your words to each person. For example, if you’re talking to a customer on the phone, you might mention a particular problem they had.
Your personal connections will make your clients feel known and cared for. They will want to stay with your business because of your personal touches. And, selling to existing customers is easier when you know what they need.
It can be difficult to remember everything that every customer says. Store notes in your CRM. You can pull up the notes when you’re communicating with your clients.
3. Stay organized
When you are disorganized, you are more likely to forget clients and information about them. Using a CRM and contact management software can help you keep track of your contacts.
A CRM can organize your clients and their information. You can create notes about each client. You can also organize customers into groups based on what type of customer they are.
The CRM lets you set reminders to reach out to clients. You can create emails in the CRM and send them out to groups or personalize them for individuals. The CRM will keep a record of your communications so you don’t forget the last time you contacted a client.
4. Upsell and cross-sell
Take a look at what your clients are currently paying for. What other things can you offer that would benefit them?
Try upselling a service to your clients. For example, if you notice a client is maxing out your service every month, you might convince them to upgrade to a more extensive account.
Selling more to existing customers can be done by pitching related products that complement what they currently have. Tell them how the related item will help them further improve their lives. Explain why the benefits are worth the costs.
All of your clients are looking for ways to save time and money. It’s up to you to explain how paying for your product or service will help them save both in the long run, despite the additional cost.
5. Give support
Don’t abandon your clients once you sell something to them. Give them ongoing and customized support.
Once a customer makes a purchase, you can help them with setup. You can walk them through your processes to ensure a successful beginning.
Later, you can follow up with the client. See if they need any additional help. You might be able to upsell here if the customer desires things that are in a different package.
The support you give customers will hopefully convince them to continue business with you. And maybe they’ll sign up for additional services because they know they will receive quality assistance.
6. Take feedback
Feedback can help you create a better product or service. It can also help you grow as a salesperson.
You can learn how to increase sales with existing customers by getting feedback, and it won’t negatively effect your small business budgeting. It can help you retain customers and learn about their continued needs.
Ask your customers for feedback on how you can improve. Ask them how you personally did. Find out what they think about your product or service. Have your clients tell you what can be better about your offerings.
Once you get feedback, act on it. If your service is missing a key part, add it or offer it as an upgrade. If people don’t understand the benefits of a product, develop a better way to explain and sell it.
Tell your customers that you listened. If you added to the things you sell, explain how they can get your new offerings. If you developed a new way to pitch a confusing product, start testing it out on your clients.
7. Get referrals
Your current clients might know someone else who could benefit from your products or services. Ask your customers for referrals.
Once you get the names and contact information of others, you can reach out to them and pitch your product or service. You can mention where you got their information. The potential customer might trust you more because someone they know uses your product or service.
Thank your customers for giving you referrals. You can send them a thank you note. You can also give clients an incentive for giving referrals. For example, you might send a gift card or give a discount when a referral becomes a paying customer.
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