The last thing you would want to hear as a business owner is when one of your customers says that they have bought something that you sell… from somewhere or someone else.
You would probably wonder why they did not buy a particular product or service from you, and if you asked them they would often say, ‘I had no idea you sold it’.
One of the main reasons why customers buy from your competitors is they are clueless that you offer the particular product/ service in question. You may have mentioned it when they last purchased from them and they may have even seen it in store. However, when they were ready to purchase, your competitors’ marketing efforts can potentially grab their attention. Unfortunately, the fact that you offer it simply was not front of mind for them.
So why didn’t they know? It is simply because you have not been letting them know often enough.
Here are some steps you can take to ensure that your customers are updated with all your business offerings:
1) Organise a database.
You can get a simple database set up as a spreadsheet on Microsoft Excel, an email marketing program such as MailChimp, or even a Customer Management System. It is crucial that you have a database so that you can manage relationships with your customers. Useful data (such as what their previous purchases were, how recent their purchases were, how loyal they have been to your business, how well you are doing to retain/churn the number of customers through time etc.) can help you plan your marketing actions in the future. It can also help you implement a one-to-one approach with your customers as you get to personalise your communication efforts, based on the data that you collected. Remember all your social media followers are a type of database as well.
2) Ensure that you are systematically letting your customers know about your business offerings on a regular basis.
It is your job as the business owner to let your customers know what you sell and what you don’t sell. It is not their job to know unless you tell them.
Make a list of all the things that you sell and work out the top ones that your customers need to be aware of, and start letting them know. Use as many platforms that you have that you can communicate to your customers with. This includes all your social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and many others.
This can also be done by sending newsletters to your existing customers or subscribers, and informing them about your latest product or developments. Also, make sure that you also strategize and include a point-of-difference that sets you apart from your competitors. It is your job to let them know and convince them why they should buy your product or service from you and not anywhere else.
