A Unique, Simple-to-Implement
Customer Loyalty Program
by
David Frey
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.
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