How to make a regular customer out of an ordinary visitor?

In our dedicated articles, we consider what techniques can be used to increase the profits of enterprises. And today's article will not be an exception, the topic of our story will be: building a queue of regular customers... Recently I was walking along one of the central streets of my city and noticed a very strange, but at the same time interesting picture. There are two thematically identical cafes literally 50 meters from each other. Only in one, all the tables are occupied, people come in and out, it is clear that work is in full swing, and in the second there are several visitors, and the waiters are clearly bored. I am sure that many of you have also observed such an interesting situation. The question arises: "Why is this happening?" In appearance, both establishments are decent, prices are the same, interior, exterior, service - everything is on the level, but still people go to the first cafe, but not to the second. Literally a few days later, I again returned to thinking about this situation, because it haunted me. All thoughts converged on one thing - probably in the first cafe there is something that is not immediately visible, some kind of charm, special service, attitude towards the client, something that makes an ordinary visitor come here over and over again, something that does his regular customer. Thoughts are thoughts, but everything needs to be tested in practice. I spent two evenings in these establishments, and, to be honest, I was not mistaken. It is not worth describing the details, I am not doing advertising, but I will dwell on some points that you can use in your business. In fact, it was this incident that prompted me to think about writing this article. So, 4 simple rules that will help you turn a regular customer / customer into a regular customer.

Related article:

Rule number one: do more than the client expects

If you have a really great establishment, or you create a good product, then clients will forgive little mistakes without any problems, and sometimes they may even turn a blind eye to a more serious problem. And all why? Because the client sees that you are working, you want to please him, exceed expectations. Think of a soccer game. If a team fights on the field, plays until the last second, snatches the ball from the opponent, but as a result loses, even with a large score, the stadium accompanies them with applause, because it is not a shame to lose when you give your best. Also in business. Customers are not stupid, they see everything, feel everything, and will be more loyal if you try. So it was in this cafe. Everything is perfect, the waiter serves several tables, but the impression is that he is personally assigned to you, a glance in his direction and that's it ... he is already ready to listen to your wishes, or take an order.

While preparing this article, I looked for other examples of such a good attitude towards clients. For example, Logitech produces Bluetooth mice with an adapter. One of the customers accidentally lost such an adapter, and asked for advice on the company's official website about where to buy it. Instead of unsubscribing with a few standard phrases, Logitech sent their customer a brand new adapter in return. Tell me what's a little thing? But on the other hand, this post has collected thousands of comments, and Logitech has become even better in the eyes of customers. Whenever possible, I try to cite Apple as an example. They have incredible technical support and the best customer service is organized. There are already legends on the Internet about the specialists of this company, because they will not always find answers to everything, absolutely all of the client's questions. Yes, even if their voice is not the same as that of young girls, they do not speak corny, but they will always help, solve any problem. What else does the client need? The main attention, and that he does not care about anything.

Related article:

All employees are part of a whole

Before trying to earn customer loyalty, you must create a friendly microclimate within your company. Each of its employees, who in one way or another will encounter clients, must understand that a lot depends on him. Almost the fate of the entire business depends on his actions, his decisions, his attitude, his words addressed to the client. It is when each member of the team understands that he is an important figure, that his superiors appreciate him, take into account his thoughts, then he will begin to treat visitors differently. Believe me, when a person works with joy, with a soul, with desire, it can be seen on his face, felt in his actions and deeds. Of course, you will always want to return to where you are welcome, where you are served with incredible trepidation and attention. The cafe I was in surprised me with another aspect. When I asked the waiter about a particular dish, he talked about it with such enthusiasm, as if a minute ago he was enjoying its taste. In part, I was right. As I later found out, the waiters of this cafe are traveling the same way as the visitors. Therefore, they can tell you which dish is better and tastier without falsity, with real emotions.

Have a sense of humor

Humor is an integral part of working with clients. Of course, you or your employees should not throw jokes on the left and on the right, but the ability to successfully and cheerfully maintain a conversation, joke on the topic, defuse the atmosphere with an innocently spoken phrase is worth a lot. Speaking of humor, I always remember those support of several large Internet companies: the social network VKontakte, where technical support workers are already accustomed to strange questions and, not without a share of humor, answer them, Yandex, with its "platons" who, if they are humorous to apply, they will also gladly answer your requests, and the support of the PokerStars website. PokerStars has a really funny story. One day, a user received a letter in which he asked when Judea was celebrating the new year. Of course, the administration could have ignored the issue, but not this time. After collecting information on the Internet, they further an exhaustive answer, which amused the questioner, and the entire Internet community.

Related article:

Smile

Incredibly simple advice, but many people ignore it. Scientists from various fields have proven that a smile is a universal means of communication. People trust more those who smile at them. But the main thing is that the smile should be sincere, not feigned, not squeezed out of itself. Believe me, even the most gloomy person, if he smiles sweetly, will become a little kinder. Smile even when you are on the phone. It is incredible, but it has already been officially proven that a smile can be heard, because the voice of a smiling person changes, and we subconsciously understand that at the moment the person is good, he is smiling, kind, and ready to cooperate.

Any business is, first of all, customers. Because the level of sales, the level of profitability and overall efficiency depends on them, more precisely, on their availability and loyalty. Customer consistency is one of the foundations of business stability. The entrepreneur should pay special, close and the same constant attention to how to work with regular customers. There are many effective ways to make a customer permanent.

Regular customer

An entrepreneur must remember that a regular customer is not only a stable source of income, when loyal customers come to his store every day, buy products and goods from him, leaving, accordingly, their money for him.

It is also necessary to remember about the universal rule - "Pareto Rule" ("Pareto Principle", "Pareto Law" variants of names may be different), named after the Italian engineer, economist and sociologist. In general terms, it is formulated as follows: “20% of efforts give 80% of the result. The remaining 80% of the efforts give the remaining 20% ​​of the result. " This rule is universal for different spheres of human life.

In business, in particular, in retail, this rule is formulated as follows: 20% of buyers give 80% of the store's revenue. The rest of the revenue, amounting to 20% of the total, comes from purchases from 80% of buyers. Among the latter there may be, for example, casual, rare visitors who come to the store from time to time, etc.

Interesting:

Of course, among those 20% of buyers who provide 80% of the store's income and profits, there may also be random people. But, in all likelihood, the majority are regular customers.

In this regard, the task of the entrepreneur is to ensure that the largest buyers, providing the largest part of his income and profits, become his regular customers. For this, it is necessary to carry out special work, introduce and implement measures aimed at making them permanent.

How to make a client permanent

In fact, there are many ways to do this. In general, a customer will become a regular when he comes to your store again and again:

It's nice, he will get moral satisfaction.

Returning to your store and making purchases over and over again is profitable for him in material terms, that is, in terms of money. The main tool for this is discounts to customers.

Specific ways to make a customer a regular:

1. Discounts for regular customers... This is a kind of buying their loyalty. Discounts to clients for permanence can be issued in various ways, there are many of them.

For example, a loyal customer card that gives a discount on every next purchase. This is perhaps the most common way. Such cards can be different: simple, "gold", etc., they differ mainly in the size of the discount.

Usually this is from 5% on simple cards to 20% and even 30% for VIP-clients who leave significant amounts of money in the store, so the entrepreneur has the opportunity to provide him with such a significant discount without prejudice to himself.

Such a loyalty card can be personalized, issued for a specific person, personalized is usually made for the owner of large discounts. It can be bearer, that is, without specifying the name of the owner.
Find out,

The last bearer customer card is also beneficial in that it expands the number of customers, including regular customers, when a circle of people - friends, relatives, colleagues of the owner of this card - uses one card with a small but pleasant discount.

2. Bonuses and gifts constant for each subsequent purchase. For this, a loyal customer card can also be issued.

3. "Cash Back"- cash refund, if you translate this term into Russian. To do this, a plastic card is issued, like a discount card, to which the amount of money or points from each purchase is credited. The accumulated money and points will subsequently be spent on the next purchase.

For example, a person bought goods in a store for 5,000 rubles, and the “Cash Back” on his card is 5%. This means that 250 rubles will be automatically credited to his card after purchase and payment. In other words, the store will return these 250 rubles from the payment amount.

Having accumulated some amount, he can make another purchase, which in fact will be free for him. Well, and accordingly, in order to save up for such a free next purchase, the buyer will have to become a regular customer of this store at least for a while.

4. Coalition activities... This is when several businesses that are not competitors to each other, as they work in different areas, unite in such a way that a person, buying a product at any of the coalition points, receives a discount.

The coalition may include, for example, a fitness club, a sportswear store, a sports store, and a sports and health food store.

Another very popular example of coalition programs is special bank cards. By issuing a certain card in a bank, a person gets the opportunity to buy goods and services in a large number of stores, salons, etc., which are served in this bank. Such a system is beneficial to all participants: the buyer receives a discount on the purchase, shops receive discounts for servicing in the bank, and the bank receives current assets in the form of money of organizations that are served in this bank.

5. It is necessary constantly keep up to date with news: new items, promotions, etc. If a purchase or a customer's order implies that it will not be completed immediately, but in stages, it is necessary to inform about the state of affairs at each stage of the order. For example, during the delivery of the goods, it is important for the buyer to know where right now, at this moment in time, the purchased (ordered) goods are located.

6.With buyers required always be honest and open... Even if something does not work out during the execution of an order, you need to talk about it openly and frankly, not hiding it. This is especially important when working with those clients who are already regular, so as not to lose them. The entrepreneur himself will have to learn to be honest, as well as teach his managers and specialists.

8. The buyer will return to you when he was satisfied service level... This applies, in particular, to the politeness of salespeople, managers and consultants. They should always be in sight, but not intrusive.

Of course, the seller must be competent and ready to answer any (within reasonable and adequate limits) questions of the buyer.

The above ways to make a client permanent are not the only ones - there are many. It all depends on the specific type of business, on what exactly is being sold, where it is being sold, and on specific conditions.

Different methods can be effective for a long time. Some may only be effective for a certain amount of time. Therefore, the entrepreneur must also carry out work on measuring the effectiveness: to what extent and what result was given by this or that event to increase loyalty. The fact is that if you get carried away with meeting the needs of the client, you may not notice how some activities can start to bring only a loss.

HOW TO MAKE A CUSTOMER PERMANENT?
Skriptunova E., Tarelkina T.
"Atelier", No. 7, 2001.

"A woman in a chic fur coat enters an expensive boutique, the seller immediately draws attention to her and warmly greets her:" Hello! What would you like to buy, can I help you with something? "The woman very embarrassedly replies:" The fact is that I was in such a hurry to see you that I left my wallet at home ... (the seller walks away from her with an indifferent look) ..., but I called my husband, he is already carrying my wallet. "The seller turns to her with a smile and open arms:" Hello again! "
(Joke)

"And what is the moral?"
In light of our topic, there is a lot of it here, and very different:
- how to attract a client, or almost everything. But for some reason we do not do it or do it artificially, or as in a joke. True, there are pleasant exceptions and there are more and more of them;
- It seems that something has not been finalized in this boutique:
either in the selection of personnel (personal characteristics), or the system of moral and material stimulation of employees does not work (there are service standards, but they do not work), or the marketing strategy (in its formulation) is aimed at increasing sales, and not at winning customer loyalty (such relationship, no client deserves, especially the target client - the "sacred cow" of any business);
- Yes, and the very first impression that a fur coat arrived, and not a man. Moreover, the fur coat is some kind of non-standard, without a wallet. And why is she needed here without a wallet? She walks around looking at something, God forbid, he starts asking something, wasting your precious time and nerves on her ... There is still a lot to be learned from this anecdote, but let's stop for now, on the above.

So, our topic is "How to make a customer permanent?" This means that we have done all the preliminary work to make him a client from "running past to work". Or not?
There are five stages of turning just a person into a regular customer with whom you so want to "be friends forever":
1. Potential buyers - people who may be interested in buying from you;
2. Visitors - people who have visited your company (shop / atelier) at least once;
3. Buyers - those who have purchased one or more products (used one or more services) of your company;
4. Customers - people who regularly buy your goods or use services;
5. Adherents - those who tell everyone what a great company you have.

There is a wonderful book (see the list of references below), where it is written in detail and with examples how to transfer a client from step to step, what is important for him, what he pays attention to, and of course what he is caught wants what is important to him, what he pays attention to). This is where the basics go and what you can start applying right away (if you want).

Let's start from the very beginning: a group of people got together and decided not to do something for us. They have two ways: to do what they know how and then puzzle over who and how to sell it or understand who our client is, what his needs are and build their work based on them.
For example, for an atelier, the basic need of any client is "the main thing is that the suit fits." That is, it was sewn for him and emphasized his individuality (as far as possible, his capabilities), the quality is implied by the client a priori ("this is individual tailoring, not stamping"). Accordingly, depending on the level of quality that we can offer and what client's capabilities we focus on, we find our niche.

Now our task is to attract the attention of potential buyers: Appearance and design - showcases serve as the face of your atelier / store, treat them as "dumb sellers". They create your image, image, even before the buyer comes to you. They tell him who you are and what you are selling / offering. Much has been written about advertising and it may be already difficult to navigate the entire flow of information. The fact is that a lot of time has passed, and some of this information is outdated, some is not suitable for your business. It is necessary to choose the most effective advertising that reflects and emphasizes now the individuality of your company. As the simplest and most "working" litmus test - carry out 2-3 experiments: show your flyer or brochure to someone who does not work for you and is not your relative or friend, cover the name of your company. If a person says that this is an ordinary, standard, unremarkable advertisement or names your competitor as the author of an advertisement, then immediately throw it out and start developing YOUR ADVERTISING with renewed vigor.

They say that a person's first impression of something or someone is formed in the first 8 seconds. What can you see in 8 seconds by entering the atelier? To catch at the level of sensations - everything: the design of the room and the appearance of the employees, it goes without saying, and also the attitude towards customers, the relationship of employees with each other, the general atmosphere. How:
- Did they pay attention to him: they met him, smiled, called a tailor, or offered to wait a little, look at magazines, samples of matter; or the receptionist deals with papers, talks on the phone and does not pay attention to the person, waits for him to deign to come.
- Interaction between employees: coordination of actions, appeal to each other, relationships, respect, assistance in a difficult situation, etc. Would you say that this is not possible? At the level of sensations, it is possible. If for some reason a person has to wait a long time, and magazines and materials run out (or are not interesting), he begins to observe how everything is arranged for you, your entire kitchen - he has nothing else to do (then all of the above becomes conscious).
By the way, "the most valuable commodity of our time is time", it can become an additional service to your main activity, increasing the attractiveness of the company for the client. Moreover, it saves not only your client's time, but also yours. It also shows how much you value and respect your client and yourself too.
The appearance, the image of employees plays an important role, both for the first impression (pleasant impression; compliance of the employee's image with the image of the organization), and in its compliance with the content of the employee's activities. Whether you want, for example, to sit in an armchair to a hairdresser, who has “God knows what” on his head, and not a hairstyle, you will surely have doubts about his professionalism.
Knowledge of the product / service - staff competence - going beyond responsibility. How often, as a client, you have heard in response to your question: "No, I do not know", "This is not in my competence." Remember how you felt? The client wants and has the right to information, and reliable information, otherwise you will not see him again. This factor is important when communicating with any of the above clients, but you will have to go through a special test of strength when communicating with the "Visitor". He has not bought anything yet, but is only trying on, evaluating everything and is very critical. Your knowledge, ability to communicate with clients and work with client objections can turn this skeptic into your "Buyer". It all depends on you. The issue of competence is also very important, if the employee does not know something, then his task is to transfer the client "from hand to hand" to the employee who has the necessary knowledge and authority, or to promise to find information for the next meeting and fulfill the promise. Seeing each new client, remember - "You will not get a second opportunity to make a first impression."

THE MAIN THING: EACH YOUR CLIENT IS PERSONALITY, INDIVIDUALITY, SPECIAL

He wants to be paid attention to, smiled, addressed to him personally and called by name (if there is information), listened to him and answered his questions, respected, etc.

It is the need for recognition that is the key to the client's heart. Now let's move on to potent remedies:
CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS HANDLING is an invaluable source of information on improving your work, making it feel special, gaining new clients and followers. As you know, it is easier and cheaper to satisfy an existing client than to attract a new one. Clients whose problems remain unresolved will go straight to competitors, remembering you with an unkind word all the way. Statistics:
- 91% of dissatisfied clients will never turn to the offending firm again, and each of them will share the story of their troubles with at least nine other people;
"54-70% of those who file complaints will again use the firm's services if their complaints have been successfully resolved. If customers see problems being resolved quickly, this figure rises to 95%. The key factor is how quickly the problem is resolved.

Complaints technology
1. To restrain the first desire - to argue.
2. Let the person speak out (listen to the person, ask clarifying questions).
3. Understand how you can help by asking the question: "What can I do to help your trouble?"
4. Provide solutions to choose from: either / or.
5. Thank the client for helping to fix the situation

Most clients only want fairness and nothing more. They just want to get what they paid for in the shortest possible time. A caring attitude and a little respect will greatly dampen angry feelings. However, there is a small percentage of greedy and unreasonable complainants. In this case, you must make a decision: either to yield to the demands of customers, treating losses as an overhead in doing business, or suffer from their future ill will and damage to your reputation.

In order to manage customer expectations, you need to find out what your customers think about the services at the present time, in this you will be helped by CONDUCTING SURVEYS, RESEARCH. It is not uncommon for an outsider to see flaws in what the company takes for granted. You will add information about the needs of your customers, about what you do well, how you are better than your competitors and how they manage to cross your path.

"SPECIAL OFFERS" are strong: clubs of the most, most; holidays, sales for the most beloved customers, special and exclusive offers, etc. This is typically used to translate "Clients" into "Followers" and maintain a relationship with them.

For all types of clients, the magic words are:
- Is free
- Sale
- Present

GOOD LUCK!
P.S .: FOR ALL THIS TO WORK, MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING SUPPORT IS NECESSARY:
1). UNDERSTAND WHO IS OUR CLIENT, HIS NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS
2). DEVELOP A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION STRATEGY
3). INFORM EMPLOYEES WITH THE STRATEGY
4). TRAIN EMPLOYEES. TAKE CARE OF YOUR EMPLOYEES, AND THEY TAKE CARE OF YOUR CLIENTS.
5). DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A SYSTEM OF MOTIVATION
6). SET QUALITY STANDARDS IN OPERATION AND CONTROL THEIR PERFORMANCE.

Literature:
1. M. Rafel, N. Rafel "How to win a client". - St. Petersburg: Peter Press, 1996 (Series "Business without secrets").
2. Marilyn and Tom Ross "Big Ideas for Small Business Services in the Service Industry." - M .: "Agency" FAIR "", 1996.

To make a new customer not only make a purchase, but also become a regular customer, follow three steps:

• give the client a benefit that he will not receive in another company;
• create a loyalty program;
• Demonstrate an individual approach to the buyer.

Make a new customer permanent

Benefit the customer

If your offer is unprofitable for the buyer, no signs of attention, for example, congratulations on his birthday, will have an effect. What can attract a client? Offer him to accumulate points (miles, rubles, etc.) in order to exchange them for a gift later. Such promotions give a return if they are carried out not once, but several times in a row with small (maximum per month) breaks. At the same time, each of the actions should be quite long - three to four months.

Can be issued to customers for every 100 rubles. purchases self-adhesive stamps that need to be placed in a special booklet. When the buyer has accumulated 50 stamps, he receives one item as a gift, if 100 - another, but more or more expensive. All prizes that people can receive should be displayed on the sales floor so that they can be viewed, touched and even put in a basket.

Some companies give out discount cards to every new visitor, even if he doesn't make a purchase. Together with the card, the client receives a product catalog, a brochure with full information about the benefits of regular customers, a surprise gift, a leaflet with information about a special offer that will be valid in the near future and which can be used right now.

Create a loyalty or bonus program

Having managed to attract a wide clientele with favorable conditions, you can tie its main core to yourself even more tightly -. This requires a so-called friendly add-on - it is formed by loyalty programs, bonus and other programs (for example, free shipping or payment by installments).

Loyalty program. To immediately make a pleasant impression on the consumer, you need:

• provide full information about the conditions of the program, clearly state what the company expects to receive from the client and what it gives him in return;
• on the first day, give the client something specific as a reward for becoming a participant in the program and disclosing personal information.

For example, on the very first day, credit a new member's card with a welcome bonus. It is not the size of the gift that matters, but the gesture itself; It is also significant that the bonus does not oblige the client to anything: having received a gift, he, in principle, may no longer use the card.

Attention: calculate the risks of the loyalty program.

Loyalty program risks are quite high. Make sure your company can handle potential threats. If there is any doubt that the investment in the loyalty program will pay off, it is better not to start the project.

Example. A wealthy American bought a painting for several million dollars using a card that was tied to the airline's bonus account. For the purchase, he was credited with so many bonus miles that he could fly around the globe for free for the rest of his life. The airline may have tied a customer to itself, but still did not get the result that it hoped for. Examples like these are forcing Western companies to make more cautious offers to customers.

Bonus or other program. To make a client permanent, offer him to purchase products with interest-free installments. Another option to attract customers is to use trade-in technology. For example, a bookstore may offer customers to return the books they read for 25% of the cost (and then put these books up for sale at a discount). Regularly arrange "client days" when special discounts will be valid for regular customers.

Example of a bonus for wholesale customers

The Alpha company opened in a place that was favorable from the point of view of the flow of customers, but it had to stand out from the competitors (who worked here, door to door). After interviewing customers, company executives identified the main problem for customers - small wholesalers. Entrepreneurs were afraid to take on new products for implementation, as they could not predict whether they would be in demand. And the solution was found: customers were offered to buy new items at a bargain price, promising to take the goods back if they were not sold, and in exchange for the amount paid to issue another, guaranteed running. The offer was announced to each buyer, and a corresponding notice was hung on the doors in large print.

Show a personal touch

To further bond your customers to you, add an element of kinship to your relationship with customers. By following purchases, you can understand what a person is interested in and surprise the client, even if his interests are not directly related to the field of activity of your company. For example, you might give customers a discount on a theater ticket or a store ticket.

Examples of an individual approach to clients

Jack Mitchell, owner of luxury clothing stores and author of Hug Your Customers, calls his approach to shoppers "hugs." His methods will work in any business.

1. Be responsive to customer requests. Once a customer called the store and said that he needed 150 cowboy hats and was willing to pay $ 10-15 for each. There were no hats in the store, but Jack Mitchell found a manufacturer who was willing to give the hats for $ 4 apiece. As a result, the client received hats, and the store received profits.

2. Know loyal customers by sight. All employees know the customers well. When a customer comes to the store for more than the first time, he is greeted with the words: “Rob! Nice to see you again! How is Ricky doing? Are you satisfied with the navy blue Zegna suit you bought here last March? By the way, we have just been delivered beautiful suits with gray stripes, there is your size. "

3. Arrange pleasant surprises for clients. Free hot dogs are handed out outside the shops every Saturday summer. For Jewish customers, they order kosher, and for a client with high cholesterol, they bring a hot dog with turkey. Employees collect information about customer preferences in the process of communication and enter it into CRM.

4. Personally go to the gym and communicate with clients. The founder of the business, 98-year-old father of Jack Mitchell, sometimes comes to stores to chat with customers. Jack Mitchell himself often works in the gym with a centimeter around his neck. Once he ordered to send flowers to one of the clients, whose husband bought several pairs of expensive shoes at once (of course, women's - at the request of his wife).

5. Give personal thanks to each customer who made a major purchase. Every morning, Jack reviews over $ 2,000 in sales from yesterday and writes thank-you notes to customers and employees. For example, the email a customer received: "I hope you enjoyed the Richards store and that Frank Gallagi has provided everything you need."

6. Leave your personal phone number so that clients can contact you. If the customer calls after the store closes, he will hear on the answering machine that by pressing "2" he will be able to contact one of the managers, and by pressing "3" - with another. For example, a customer forgot to pick up fitted clothing, but he needs to urgently go on a business trip. In such situations, the company meets the client halfway.

7. Give the client exactly what he needs. For example, a new collection of clothing from the Missoni brand came to the store. Each item is photographed, and then these photos are sent to the 50 main fans of the brand (information about preferences is in the CRM). The company invites them to get acquainted with the new collection, thereby not only taking care of them, but also increasing sales.

• warning: Declaration of views_handler_filter :: options_validate () should be compatible with views_handler :: options_validate ($ form, & $ form_state) in / home / j / juliagbd / site / public_html / sites / all / modules / views / handlers / views_handler_filter .inc on line 0.
• warning: Declaration of views_handler_filter :: options_submit () should be compatible with views_handler :: options_submit ($ form, & $ form_state) in / home / j / juliagbd / site / public_html / sites / all / modules / views / handlers / views_handler_filter .inc on line 0.
• strict warning: Declaration of views_handler_filter_boolean_operator :: value_validate () should be compatible with views_handler_filter :: value_validate ($ form, & $ form_state) in / home / j / juliagbd / site / public_html / sites / all / modules / views / handlers / views_handler_filter .inc on line 0.
• strict warning: Declaration of views_plugin_style_default :: options () should be compatible with views_object :: options () in /home/j/juliagbd/site/public_html/sites/all/modules/views/plugins/views_plugin_style_default.inc on line 0.
• strict warning: Declaration of views_plugin_row :: options_validate () should be compatible with views_plugin :: options_validate (& $ form, & $ form_state) in / home / j / juliagbd / site / public_html / sites / all / modules / views / plugins / views_plugin_row.inc on line 0.
• strict warning: Declaration of views_plugin_row :: options_submit () should be compatible with views_plugin :: options_submit (& $ form, & $ form_state) in / home / j / juliagbd / site / public_html / sites / all / modules / views / plugins / views_plugin_row.inc on line 0.
• strict warning: Non-static method view :: load () should not be called statically in /home/j/juliagbd/site/public_html/sites/all/modules/views/views.module on line 906.
• strict warning: Non-static method view :: load () should not be called statically in /home/j/juliagbd/site/public_html/sites/all/modules/views/views.module on line 906.
• strict warning: Non-static method view :: load () should not be called statically in /home/j/juliagbd/site/public_html/sites/all/modules/views/views.module on line 906.
• strict warning: Declaration of views_handler_argument :: init () should be compatible with views_handler :: init (& $ view, $ options) in / home / j / juliagbd / site / public_html / sites / all / modules / views / handlers / views_handler_argument .inc on line 0.
• strict warning: Non-static method view :: load () should not be called statically in /home/j/juliagbd/site/public_html/sites/all/modules/views/views.module on line 906.
• strict warning: Non-static method view :: load () should not be called statically in /home/j/juliagbd/site/public_html/sites/all/modules/views/views.module on line 906.
• strict warning: Non-static method view :: load () should not be called statically in /home/j/juliagbd/site/public_html/sites/all/modules/views/views.module on line 906.

Every time you lose a customer, you weaken your trade; the longer you retain a buyer, the more justified your marketing investment

Buck Rogers

"One of the main directions of the formation of strategic competitive advantages is the provision of services of a higher quality in comparison with similar and competitors."

writes Inessa ERMISHKINA, expert of the ProHotel magazine, business coach and consultant of the Leaders2Liders consulting company. The modern trade market provides for fierce competition.

And the owner is deeply mistaken, who believes that regular customers will always make purchases only from him. Moreover, making a buyer permanent is a difficult task and it takes a lot of work for this.

How to meet a potential client?

First of all, even a well-trained salesperson must be, first of all, a person, and only then a sales worker. A good salesperson understands very well that in such a business, how to win a customer, a lot depends on the first meeting.

A person should feel that he was expected, he is welcome. Be sure to say hello and introduce yourself, and do it in a benevolent tone. Smiling sincerely, paying attention to everyone is one of the principles of successful trading. The seller is obliged to use it.

Goodwill in relationships is one of the main factors in the question of how to get regular customers. No matter how aggressive and uncommunicative the buyer is, the employee of the trade institution should remember that these qualities often hide insecurity and stiffness.The client must be perceived as he is. You shouldn't waste time trying to fix it and impose your opinion.

The task of the seller is different: to serve well, thereby solving the problem of how to make the customer permanent. He may not fully understand the choice of the right product or, conversely, be a specialist, the main thing is that he leaves satisfied.

Even if the buyer asks what the seller thinks are stupid questions, they must be answered, and there should be no arrogance in the answer. All negative emotions must be deeply hidden, otherwise it will be badly reflected.

Ways to keep loyal customers

There is always a chance that a regular client will not go to competitors. The main thing is to use them correctly. There are several ways.

Loyal customer questionnaire. Each person is pleased with the attention to his person, so you need to keep your own card index of regular customers, writing down the last name, phone number, what the person is interested in. When new products arrive, such a questionnaire will allow you to quickly contact the buyer and advise him on the product in accordance with his tastes and preferences.

The result will be the arrival of new buyers. But at this stage, you need to think about a way that will help distinguish casual from regular customers. And at this stage, the main thing is to keep old customers, and only then can you start attracting new customers.

Pareto principle

What do customers like?

The customer will return to the store for the next purchase only if he likes it there. And in order to like it, you need to provide some additional reasons. This can be a loyalty card, a discount coupon, or something else similar.

In reality, shoppers love the really low prices, free shipping and, of course, the gifts. But in cases with gifts there is a condition: it is impossible that the thing intended for a gift be sold in a store. The loyal customer card shows how important he is for the store, and the customer, feeling this, will definitely return.

Reasons for not making purchases and ways to overcome them.

1. The person has no need to buy. In this case, it is necessary to offer discounts and rewards to regular customers.
2. The client does not have the required amount of money. The way out is buying on credit.
3. There is no rush to purchase goods. Here you can mention that the promotion is for regular customers, and it will last only a few days, the quantity of goods is limited.
4. There is no elementary desire. The seller must prove that the possession of the thing will increase the prestige of the person.
5. There is no trust in the product. In this case, only recommendations from other buyers will work, which are collected in a separate book in good stores.

A competent seller, in addition to the purchase, will offer to buy something else, and a discount will be applied to a regular customer when buying. In five cases, it works. All kinds of incentive programs play a great role in attracting loyal customers.

They serve two purposes: continuity and reward. Another way to attract buyers will be a letter of thanks to a regular customer. This form is very effective, because attention has not yet been superfluous to anyone. And remember that the more a customer spends, the more they want to spend further.