One of the key things to maintain a profitable business is to maintain a steady client base. A company usually gains 80% of its business from 20% of its customers, so it is important to be aware of the factors that keep customers returning.

Communicate with clients regularly

Whether your company provides a monthly newsletter or email, it is always a good idea to keep your customers up to date with improvements that you’ve made or offers that are available to them. Create a database of the client information that will be relevant to keep in touch, such as email addresses, and communicate as often as you can. This may seem time-consuming in the short term, but in the long term it will pay off. This does not need to be one-sided, however. You should also make sure that there is a way for customers to contact you if they need to whether that is to express their gratitude or concerns.

Personalise your customer service

Tailoring your customer service will prove that you care about the customer’s wants and needs. By giving your customers the opportunity to provide feedback, whether good or bad, you can learn more about your customer’s preferences and therefore personalise the engagement you have with them. Encourage your sales team to get to know the names of regular customers. This makes people feel important and respected, and connection such as this will make them want to return.

Develop a sense of community for customers

In today’s competitive market, peer influence plays a huge role. If you turn a business transaction into a customer community those who use your service will be more likely to recommend it to friends, family and those who they engage with online. This works in two ways; maintaining the loyalty of your current customers and increasing the number of prospective clients and can be done via things such as social media or a forum on your company’s website that allows customers to share thoughts and experiences on your products and services.

Be effective when dealing with complaints

Most key account management and customer service training programs train you on how to address customer complaints in an effective and co-operative manner. This is a hugely important skill for both employers and employees as customers who believe they have received a bad service account for the majority of those who choose to go elsewhere. Sometimes, it may be necessary to be flexible when it comes to solving a customer issue, but doing this will prove that you can be reliable in the future.

Provide incentives

Incentives are important for both customers and staff. Providing your sales team with job incentives will encourage them to perform better when it comes to listening and engaging with their clients. Incentives for customers can include anything from loyalty points to free gifts and have been proven to keep customers loyal. In order to remain profitable, make sure that your customer incentives are coordinated with your marketing efforts and appropriate for your target audience.