I want to tell you about a little thing that the local airport parking company did that had a big impact on me and my family.
They used a little marketing trick that isn't new (by any means) but so few companies rarely use it.
NOTE: (if you keep reading I'll show you a photo of the actual tool they gave me.)
It hardly takes any effort at all to implement this little marketing trick but the results could mean a 20% to 30% increase in your business.
What am I talking about?
I'm Talking About a Customer Loyalty Program
Usually when I mention a customer loyalty program to a small business they either get frightened or their eyes glaze over because they think it's either too expensive to implement or too complicated.
But after you see this little customer loyalty tool that I received from the airport parking company, you'll see just how easy it is to implement a simple loyalty program.
Every business should have a customer loyalty program.
Why?
Because it costs five times as much money to find a new customer than it does to get a current customer to come back and do business with you.
5 times the amount!
That alone is enough reason to have a customer loyalty program.
So here are...
...Four Types of Successful Customer Loyalty Programs and an Example for Each.
Type # 1: A Membership Program.
Membership programs are one of the best ways to keep customers coming back. Most programs provide special incentives to members as part of their membership.
Today I had lunch with one of my employees at Sam's Club (best lunch deal around).
Sam's Club is a membership-based retail store.
Another good example of a membership program is where I go running every morning - - the YMCA.
Type # 2: A Rewards Program.
Rewards programs provide gifts and perks that are "earned" according to the amount of business your customers do with you.
In the hot tub retail industry many manufacturers have an annual trip that only their most successful dealers get to enjoy.
This year I went to speak at one of these "shindigs" in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and I'll tell you that it IS a party.
The dealers who get to attend have "earned" their way by selling a pre-set amount of hot tubs throughout the year.
Type # 3: Create a Community.
Every human has a deep inner need to belong to a community. "Belonging" gives us security and helps us to understand our place in life.
How do you create a community.
Recently I purchased a pair of running shoes at a local sports store called, "On the Run." http://www.ontheruntx.com/
On the Run creates a community by sponsoring marathon and triathlon training programs and sponsoring local running events.
Type # 4: Create Intertwined Business Processes.
This is not so much a traditional customer loyalty program...BUT, it's the absolute best way that I know how to GUARANTEE that your customers will keep coming back.
Basically, this method consists of positioning your business processes so deep into your client's or customer's business processes that it would financially hurt their business if they were to stop doing business with you.
For example, I run all my web businesses using this one tool, which you can see here.
If I were to decide to move to another service, it would literally rip the guts out of my business.
I'm "locked in."
That's guaranteed customer loyalty.
But It's Not that Hard to Implement Your Own Customer Loyalty Program. Here's An Idea...
...you can implement in less than one day (and this is what the airport parking company did).
Create a "frequent purchase" card and give it to every person that buys from you.
Take a look at the airport parking company's frequent purchase card:
How long do you think it took them to create this little thing?
Probably less than one day.
But it works!
In fact, here's another one of these cards that I carry in my wallet from a well-known fast food restaurant.
This strategy works!
Every retail business on the planet Earth can and should use this strategy.
David Frey is President of Marketing Best Practices Inc., a small business marketing consulting firm and the editor of the Marketing Best Practices Newsletter. His products include The Small Business Marketing Bible, Instant Referral Systems, and Coaches and Consultants Marketing Bootcamp.