Put a Fence around your Herd

Herding cats is hard work. Just ask any of the ranch hands in the award-winning EDS ad made back in 2001. The slippery felines gave them all they could handle and more. Proud, independent and stubborn, every cat wanted to make its own way whether the ranch hands wanted it to or not. Does it sometimes feel like keeping your customers happy is a lot like cat herding?

A key recommendation by Dan S. Kennedy, the marketing expert, is to build a fence around your cats (customers) to keep out poachers and to prevent them from going off on their own. Just because your customer has made a purchase from you in the past doesn't mean he or she is your customer forever. It's important to try to offer your clients extra products and services -- extra value -- that will keep them coming back to you.

Here are some ways to do just that:

• Training and coaching.  Show your customers the best ways to use or to take advantage of your product/service. Home improvement stores Home Depot and Lowes offer do-it-yourself training videos—a great incentive for customers to purchase their tools and supplies.

• Membership programs.  Whether paid or free, they are an excellent way to retain customers. While free programs (grocery stores, for example) can inspire loyalty, paid memberships make customers feel as though they're exclusive and are getting the best deals. BTW, did you see my article about Joomla membership sites in July's Joomla Community Magazine?

• Related services.  These can be just the thing to get those returning customers. Offering repairs for your products, for example, could generate more income for you, and bring the customers back to you.

• Selling consumables.  Any product or service that has a limited lifespan, for example haircuts or tires, are considered consumables and have to be redone or replaced. This offers an excellent opportunity to send out emails as replacement time approaches, instilling in customers the feeling that you're looking out for their welfare.

• Courses, workshops, or seminars.  Offer a class related to your business— a course on identity theft prevention offered by a bank, private investigator, insurance agency, etc.

• Upsells.  Package promotions are another way to keep your customers happy.  If they already like your products, packaging a known commodity with a new offering is a great way to show them your latest services.

• Content marketing. Keep in touch with your customers via email, text, blog, direct mail, or social media. Be where they hang out.

• Offering regular valuable content.  Whether you are sharing an infographic on Facebook or showing a video in your waiting room, you’re an important resource for your clients. Great new content can keep it that way.

By employing these techniques in your business, you can keep your herd of cats together, and like the ranch hands in the ‘cat herder’ ad, bring them safely into town without losing a single one.