The 80/20 rule is really a 90/10 rule for nutraceuticals. Also, most of the “10” are regular buyers
Yet surprisingly, more than 2 out of 3 companies do not have an effective strategy to keep their hard-earned customers.
It’s also a shame, as it’s pretty simple to make sure buyers keep coming back. It only takes a few easy steps.
STATISTICS DO NOT SAY EVERYTHING
Tons of marketing surveys cite the value of repeat customers. For example, it is 5 times more difficult to get a new customer than it is to keep a current one.
Descriptive stats like that are nice, if a bit superficial.
Seeing what it takes to keep repeat customers is much more informative.
As an example, a supplement company I worked with really hit the mark in customer retention. The main product line was probiotic supplements.
Every three months they sent a magazine to each buying client.
The 15-page document included stories from other clients about how they had solved various problems with their intestinal health. It was 4 colors, with many images of happy people.
He also had the backing of a research scientist, that is, me. More photos of me in a white coat and tie.
The document was peppered with copious amounts of persuasive language. It focused on key emotional hot spots to stimulate buying action.
It reads like a good novel that is hard to put down. In other words, people read it all the way to the order page.
The order form made the purchase process as simple as possible. And it offered options at better prices with multi-bottle purchases.
The final piece of the magalog strategy was the ease of contact with the company. The target age group were mainly older people. They were prone to phone calls to speak to a real human being at the company.
Overall, what this marketing strategy did was create the feeling of a person-to-person connection with each customer.
He wasn’t just making sure customers were satisfied. He focused on making customers happy.
As a result, over a period of approximately 10 years, the company’s valuation grew from around $6 million to more than $20 million.
While the marketing copy in this case was magalog, the main goal was to make customers so happy they kept coming back.
It sure worked for my own clients too.
At one point I owned a fitness nutrition retail store.
That’s where I created a weight loss program with an emphasis on customer appreciation.
The few simple steps I took to ensure their happiness with me did wonders for returning customers.
In fact, it’s still operating online, more than a decade after the physical location closed.
THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE
The only thing that keeps customers coming back is this: a human connection.
That’s all.
All businesses depend on human customers. Connecting with them is the foundation of effective marketing.
It is the foundation for customers to know, like and trust you.
People concerned with good health are especially receptive to human connection. Play on one of the most compelling emotions in wellness marketing: hope.
In the past, traditional nutrition stores relied on compassionate salespeople. They could provide wellness solutions in a caring, face-to-face way.
The need for this seemingly ancient human connection has not gone away.
Customer loyalty still depends on meeting that need.
It’s just that, these days, digital marketing often doesn’t provide it.
Customers have little to no access to vendors. Online contact forms go to impersonal email addresses like “[email protected]”. Toll-free numbers only reach outsourced call centers in foreign countries. Marketing materials often amount to fear-based intimidation.
Despite all that, digital marketing can do much more than generate faceless leads. When done right, you can establish and maintain customer loyalty based on human connection.
How is that?
We can summarize the process in three key parts.
THREE UNIQUE STEPS
1) First, create channels for person-to-person interactions.
Live phone conversations and personalized emails are unbeatable here.
Use these connections to ask customers what they want. Their responses to open-ended questions will give you a wealth of ideas for future communication with them.
This gives you a solid foundation for acknowledging their concerns in a way that helps them feel important.
Seeking meaning is an overwhelming driver of human behavior.
Ultimately, listening to your customers will tell you exactly how they want you to market to them.
2) Once you know what customers want, explain why you have your solutions.
The human connection you establish in Step 1 will build their trust in you.
They will listen more carefully and will be more likely to buy from you, again and again.
3) Create a customer appreciation program to follow up after each and every purchase.
Many companies use Survey Monkey or other services to get customer feedback. That is where the process usually stops.
You can really set your business apart by following up respondents with thank you notes, acknowledgments of their value to you, and gifts.
Stick to the old adage that the big money is in the follow up.
Following these steps will surely keep your customers happy.
And satisfied customers will continue to be the foundation of a healthy bottom line.
HOW I CAN HELP?
I am a seasoned freelance writer for the alternative health niche, a published research scientist, and a college professor for 30 years.
I use my experience to write persuasive marketing content that increases sales for alternative health businesses.
My work epitomizes the use of key emotional triggers that people identify with.
The content I create attracts new customers and makes sure they stay.
Would you like to take advantage of what I can do? Let’s talk.