Chad Knows: 7 Ways to Get More Business From Customers You Already Have

Getting a new customer is great.

But if somebody has already bought from you, visited your business, booked an appointment, or trusted you enough to spend money with you once, you shouldn’t have to start from zero with them again.

I learned that lesson years ago in the nightlife business.

At Carrington’s in Houston, we weren’t trying to find an entirely new crowd every Friday. A big part of the business was giving people who had already come before a reason to come back.

Different business today. Same principle.

Here are seven simple ways almost any business can get more value from the customers it already has.

1. Make Sure You Can Reach Them Again

Start with the obvious question:

If a customer buys from you today, can you contact them next week?

If the answer is no, fix that first.

Depending on your business, that could mean collecting:

• Email addresses
• Mobile numbers
• Online booking information
• Loyalty program signups
• Customer account information

You don’t need a complicated system.

You simply need a reliable way to stay connected after the first sale.

Try this: Look at how customers currently check out, book, order, or pay. Find one natural place to ask them to stay connected.

2. Give Them a Reason to Come Back

Don’t assume customers will remember you.

Give them another reason to return.

That doesn’t always mean offering a discount.

A restaurant might tell customers about next week’s special.

A salon might remind clients when it’s time for another appointment.

A contractor might follow up before a seasonal service is needed.

A retailer might tell past customers about something new.

Ask yourself:

What’s the next logical reason this customer would need me?

Then communicate around that.

3. Create Something Customers Can Expect

Consistency makes coming back easier.

At Carrington’s, people knew what Friday meant.

They knew the night.

They knew the atmosphere.

They knew where people were going to be.

Your business can create the same type of expectation on a much smaller scale.

Maybe it’s:

• Tuesday lunch specials
• A monthly customer event
• A regular email with useful tips
• First-Friday promotions
• Seasonal appointments
• New-product Thursdays

You are creating a habit.

The goal is for customers to start thinking:

“Oh yeah, they do that every month.”

4. Stay in Touch When You’re Not Selling Anything

Every customer message shouldn’t be:

BUY NOW.

Sometimes just be useful.

A restaurant can share a recipe or behind-the-scenes story.

A salon can send hair-care advice.

A home-service company can send seasonal maintenance tips.

A retailer can show customers how to get more use from something they already purchased.

Useful communication keeps your business familiar.

Then, when the customer needs what you sell again, you aren’t a stranger trying to get their attention.

5. Pay Attention to What Customers Respond To

You don’t have to guess forever.

Watch what people actually do.

Which emails get clicked?

Which offers get responses?

What questions do customers keep asking?

Which products bring people back?

Which posts get comments?

Which promotions get ignored?

Do more of what creates a response. Do less of what doesn’t.

You don’t need a giant marketing department to do this.

You just need to pay attention.

6. Make the Second Purchase Easier Than the First

A returning customer already knows you.

Don’t make them go through the entire discovery process again.

Give them an easy next step.

That might be:

“Book your next appointment.”

“Order your usual.”

“Schedule your next service.”

“See what’s new.”

“Reply if you want me to help.”

The less work customers have to do to figure out what comes next, the more likely they are to come back.

7. Ask for the Next Sale

This sounds simple.

A lot of businesses still don’t do it.

They make the first sale and then wait.

Don’t wait.

Follow up.

Remind them.

Invite them back.

Tell them what’s next.

Give them a reason to return.

You spent time, money, and energy earning that customer the first time.

Make sure you’re giving yourself another opportunity to earn their business.

Start Here

Don’t try to build some giant customer-marketing system this afternoon.

Start with three questions:

1. How am I collecting customer contact information?

2. What is the next logical reason they would buy from me again?

3. Am I actually contacting them when that time comes?

If you can answer those three questions clearly, you’re already ahead of a lot of businesses.

Because getting more customers isn’t always about finding more strangers.

Sometimes the opportunity is sitting in the customer list you already have.

Want Me to Take a Look?

If you’re not sure what your business could be doing differently, I can take a quick look at how you’re currently handling past customers and point out a few opportunities.

That is what Chad Knows.