Revisiting: Loyal Customers: Your Secret to Business Growth

It costs far less to keep a customer than to find a new one, yet retention is the piece most businesses overlook.
In this Revisiting episode, Kristina shares practical ways to turn one-time clients into loyal, repeat customers, from thoughtful follow-ups and simple perks to staying top of mind without overwhelming anyone.
If you've been so focused on finding new clients that you've overlooked the ones you already have, this conversation is still incredibly relevant.

Want more conversations like this? Find Kristina on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@kristinastubblefield 

Transcript

Kristina Stubblefield: [00:00:00] It costs far less to keep an existing customer than it does to find a brand-new one. But so many of us pour our energy into chasing new clients while overlooking the people already right in front of you. Keeping the customers you already have is one of the most important things a business can do, and it's something we talk about with our clients a lot.

So I'm gonna re-share this conversation. We're gonna talk about how to turn one-time clients into loyal, repeat customers with simple, practical ways to nurture those relationships and stay top of mind without overwhelming anyone. The heart of it? Your existing customers are the backbone of your [00:01:00] business.

One of my favorite topics, and I'm ready to hop into it

Did you know it's five times cheaper to keep an existing customer than to acquire a new one? Yet, many small business owners and entrepreneurs focus so much on getting new clients that they miss the incredible potential sitting right in front of them. Their current customers.

Think about it. When was the last time you went above and beyond to nurture a client after the sale? If you're not sure, don't worry. You're not alone. 

Welcome to AI Simplified, the podcast for entrepreneurs, creators, and small business owners who want practical, stress-free ways to use AI in their content and marketing. I'm Kristina Stubblefield, digital marketing strategist and creator of the Pre-Bake the Oven method. Let's [00:02:00] simplify AI so you can create faster, show up consistently, and feel confident in your content

Today, I'm going to share actionable tips to turn those one time leads into loyal repeat customers. It doesn't matter whether you're a small business owner or an entrepreneur.

These strategies I'm going to share will help you retain customers, grow your business, and encourage referrals. Loyal customers aren't just great for your revenue, they're the heart of your business. So here's what I'm going to cover today. Why post purchase engagement is essential for retention.

Practical strategies tailored for service based businesses to nurture relationships. And common mistakes to avoid. When trying to build loyalty. So are you ready to get started?

I'm gonna start by talking about [00:03:00] why post purchase engagement is so important It's all about retention. Loyal customers spend more, buy more often, and are much more likely to refer friends and family. In fact, referrals from happy clients are often a service based business's best source of new leads.

Second, emotions play a huge role. Customers remember how you made them feel. During and after the service. Did you make them feel valued and appreciated or was it a one and done transaction? Creating a positive emotional connection can set your business apart from the competition. Now, you know, I like to talk about numbers, so let's talk about them.

A 5 [00:04:00] percent increase in retention can lead to a 25 to 95 percent boost in profits. Now, I didn't just make this up. This is according to Bain and Company. For example, if you're a service based business, and every happy client who comes back is not just a source of revenue, but is also a walking testimonial for your business.

They're really like a built in salesperson for your business.

Now that you understand why the retention matters, let's start putting these pieces together. And let's talk about some practical ways to nurture those relationships and encourage repeat business. Remember, top of mind. You have to stay top of mind, not just for new clients, but for your repeat customers.

So, [00:05:00] I digress. Number one. Personalized follow ups. As soon as you've finished a service, follow up with your client. I'm going to give you an example. If you're a home cleaning service, you could send an email thanking them for their trust and include some type of tip that has to do with your industry. Now, I know it's probably crossing your mind right this minute.

Wait, you expect me to just go and send an email after the service? There are so many tools and softwares available that make this easier for business owners. Now, let's just say that you're a coach or a consultant. You could send a personalized message with a few suggestions to follow up from a recent session.

that you had with them. [00:06:00] Small touches like these show you care and it keeps your business, ready for it? Top of mind. Number two, exclusive customer perks. Everyone loves to feel special. So I'll give you another example. Maybe you're a hairstylist. You could offer a free deep conditioning treatment. After every.

Fifth appointment, for example. If you're a landscaper, you could provide a seasonal checkup for loyal clients at a discounted rate. These perks not only encourage repeat business, but it also makes your customers, your existing customers feel appreciated. Number three, education and support. Help your client [00:07:00] succeed.

Even after your service is complete. Let me give an example. Let's just say you're a wedding planner. You might send anniversary celebration ideas to past clients. Whereas, let's just give another example. You're a tax consultant. You could share a short guide on preparing for next year's filing season. These examples Show that you're providing valuable, relevant content, which positions you as an expert and keeps your clients engaged.

Speaking of engagement, number four, ongoing engagement. Staying in touch is essential. As I said before, we have so many tools and softwares at our fingertips to make this easier. Uh, to make it doable. You can use [00:08:00] email or social media to share updates, promotions, or success stories. Another example. A photographer could email past clients about seasonal mini shoot specials.

There are so many examples that I could give here, but again, that ongoing engagement keeps you top of mind. Number five. Gathering feedback. Never underestimate the power of asking for feedback. If you were a massage therapist, you could send out a follow up message saying, How did your body feel after your session?

Let us know and leave a review. Now, the key here is to not only gives you valuable insights, but also reinforces that you care about their experience.

As a side note there, reviews are so important, but this just shows a way to wrap it [00:09:00] together to give feedback and leave a review. So once you've built a solid relationship, the next step is encouraging repeat business. And there's different opportunities for upsell and cross sell, and you want to be very smart about it. I'm going to give you some examples. Back to a photographer example, you could offer discounts or special pricing on prints or maybe a complimentary session like family photos after a wedding shoot.

If you were a skin care specialist, you could recommend a hydrating cream. Or lotion to pair with a facial service that that client got. There are so many examples to give here that what I really want to focus on is the way to encourage repeat business through upsells and cross [00:10:00] sells.

 Next up. I want to talk about reactivation campaigns. So let's just say you have customers that are dormant, that they haven't used any of your services in quite some time, but they don't have to stay that way. I'll give an example. If you were a dog groomer, you might send an email that says, we miss Bella, book her next grooming session this week and get 10 percent off right there.

We were personable. You identified the pet's name. You have a call to action to book the next grooming session. For being an existing or a previous customer, you're getting a discount or special pricing. Multiple things in that example. I have to talk about community building because the importance of creating a sense of belonging needs to be talked about here.

And if you [00:11:00] are a coach, Or a consultant, you could host client appreciation events or offer access to a private group, uh, whether it be on Facebook or another software that host a private group. Another example to give would be, you could invite clients to an exclusive webinar, or maybe a Q and a session.

It's really all about that sense of belonging and forming a community. There's so many opportunities there. The next thing I want to talk about is celebrating loyalty. You do not want to underestimate the power of recognition. And of course, I'm going to give you examples, cause I feel like that's the best way to explain these or.

To get the wheels turning, how you can think of ideas for your specific business. [00:12:00] So a wedding planner could send a handwritten anniversary card to past clients. A tax consultant could send a thank you card, or no matter what kind of business you are, you could send a card for the holidays or for special times of the year.

These small gestures create big impacts. Now, I don't want to wrap this up without talking about common mistakes to avoid. Because what I don't want to have happen is you hurt your efforts to build loyalty. Neglecting clients after the service. You've done the work, but you don't let the relationship end there.

Follow up is essential. And that's something I really want to point out. Most of your competitors probably are not utilizing any kind of followup service, whether it be text, email, [00:13:00] phone call, there's probably no followup and that's an opportunity for you. Now. On the other side of this is overloading way too much communication.

You don't want to overwhelm your customers with too many emails or promotions. I always tell people, you want to be respectful not only of people's time, but also their attention. So by planning ahead, you can really minimize the number of times you send something out, but still get maximum impact. Ignoring feedback.

If a client takes the time to leave you some kind of feedback, please act on it. I'm not saying to implement what they've suggested depends on what they're saying. But, acknowledge it. This shows that you value their input. The next one, lack of personalization. I'm here [00:14:00] to tell you, Generic messages don't resonate.

We're in an age of AI. I love artificial intelligence. I talk about it a lot. I think the tool that is AI is definitely a game changer for especially small businesses and entrepreneurs, but you really want to tailor your communication to reflect their specific needs and experiences. So now that we've talked about all of this.

What would I like you to do? Well, I would like you to take a look at your current post service process. Are you following up with clients? Are you offering them reasons to come back? Pick just one strategy from everything I talked about today and give it a try. Dare I say give it a try this week. Whether it's sending a thank you email or offering a loyalty perk [00:15:00] or reactivating those dormant customers.

Remember, loyal customers are the backbone of your business. 

Treat them well. Nurture those relationships. and watch your business thrive.

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