Staying connected to clients improves your service, reputation and generates repeat business!
Some studies suggest that repeat clients make up more than 50% of business for SMEs. This is one of the many reasons why staying in touch with your current clients (those you are currently working with or have done in the last 12-18 months) is absolutely essential.
Join us as we dive into the details and other interesting findings that make keeping in touch with your clients a valuable opportunity.
The best ways to connect with clients
Businesses used to have limited ways of keeping in touch with their clients. If you didn’t pick up the phone or shoot off an email, clients were left in the dark about your new offers or services. These methods, of course, do still exist and have their place in modern marketing. But now we have so many more ways to stay in touch with clients.
Here are some of the most used and innovative:
The benefits of staying in touch with clients
So, why bother staying in touch with your current clients when there must be lots of potential new clients out there? Well, when you look at the statistics, it becomes clear that targeting current clients is cheaper and more profitable than chasing new leads:
- Generating repeat business costs approximately 5 times less than it costs a company to attract new clients
- More than 50% of business is repeat for SMEs
- Repeat customers are prepared to spend more on any subsequent purchases. Some are willing to spend 10 times their initial purchase because you have gained their trust and approval. And this figure tends to grow over time
- Repeat customers are more likely to write positive reviews and spread the word of your services
- Repeat business increases the stability and profitability of your company
So, how often should you get in touch?
We’ve established that regular contact with clients is essential, but how often should you contact them?
The idea is to strike a balance between making them remember you and the stellar service you provided to them - and not harassing them. You should never contact clients who have explicitly stated that they do not want contact in the future.
So, what is the magic frequency? Once per week? Twice per month? Once a month? There is no rigid answer to this question, and it does depend on judgement and sometimes unique situations.
For example, there might be a new regulation or law change that will affect your client’s business. If so, you need to get in touch to inform them about the change and what they need to do. You should do this as soon as possible to show them you care about their business and don’t want them to fall foul of the rules.
If you are in doubt, aim to stay connected at least once every quarter.
How do we “touch base” or “check in”?
When you reach out to current clients, you’ll often refer to this as checking in on them. The idea behind your communication should be to provide them with valuable information, preferably new data from a study within their industry or something they might not have considered.
You should then link this information to a service you offer, but you do not want to try a hard sell in most cases. Getting them to purchase your services off the back of your communication is not a primary goal – although it is a benefit.
You are simply providing your client with more value and keeping your services in their mind for when they need something in the future.
Is this newsletter an example of staying in touch?
Absolutely, WEBPRO has worked with some fantastic businesses, and we want to keep working with them. We’re certainly not ashamed to admit that!
You’ll notice we have provided some valuable information and statistics readers might find interesting – and we do have services to help – but we also want you to remember that we are here for you if you need us.
Recap: Some businesses will prioritise targeting new clients and leads. However, it can be cheaper and more beneficial if you stay connected with current clients. You are likely to spend less and receive bigger orders. Thus, staying in touch with clients is absolutely essential!
P.S. It costs around 5 times less to market to current clients who typically spend more, than it costs to generate new leads. So, why wouldn’t you save money and increase profitability by staying in touch with clients?
