If Your Customers Buy Once and Leave, You’re The Problem
I always get my bread from a bakery right down my street.
I didn’t realize it immediately, but it’s been 6 months and I haven’t gotten bread from anyone else.
Their bread is usually fresh out of the oven, soft and fluffy. Plus, they have other treats I sometimes indulge in.
This is what our typical conversation looks like:
Me: Hi. Good afternoon. I’d like to buy some coconut bread
Shopkeeper: Hello! How are you doing today?
Me: I’m good. How are you?
Shopkeeper: Great! Great! The coconut bread would be 32 rupees.
Me: Alright. Thank you.
Shopkeeper: Thank you for patronizing. Enjoy the rest of your day!
Patronizing them was easy. They had a great product and they were close by.
One day, I went to the mart to do some grocery shopping and I passed by a bakery. But for some reason, I couldn’t get bread from them.
For a while, I wondered why I couldn’t bring myself to get their bread. I’d had it before and it was great. Plus, I had reasons to leave the bakery down my street.
They had sold not-so-great bread to me before so there was no reason to be loyal.
So, I ask the question again, how did they manage to keep me a returning customer?
It’s the psychology of marketing.
You may not realize it immediately, but the little hi, heys, how was your day, we’re sorry programmed my mind.
Think about a small business that you’ve constantly patronized, and ask yourself why. Is it just their product or service? Or is it because of proximity?
Those factors matter, but I’ve received great products with terrible services and I can assure you that I will never patronize them again.
This isn’t just a B2C or a B2B thing. It’s general marketing psychology.
But as a startup, you need this loyalty the most.
Why?
- You’re new and therefore, you’re easy to forget.
- You’ve got a ton of competition, if there’s nothing special about you, your customers will move on to the next best thing.
It’s the sad truth.
Your brand needs to have a personality. Customers need to like you so much that they can’t buy coconut bread if it isn’t from you.
This is the kind of loyalty that helps B2B startups retain customers and even get referrals.
And in case you didn’t know, referrals are the best ways B2B startups can get customers.
So, I’ll share 2 tips on how to retain your customers and keep you on their minds forever.
They may sound basic, but they work.
I’ve used these tips to retain several of my client’s customers.
Find Out Their Anniversary Date
For a B2B startup, you don’t need to know the birthdays of everyone at the company. Just knowing the company’s anniversary or the founder’s birthday will suffice.
Some people might tell you to give them a discount on that day but I disagree.
By giving them a discount, they probably wouldn’t think:
“Oh wow, you care about me!”
Instead, they think:
“Oh okay. Thank you!”
Instead of taking from them at a discounted price, be more benevolent. Give it to them. Who doesn’t like free stuff?
And before you roll your eyes or click out, you don’t have to give them your most expensive product or service.
Just offer them something for free so they know that your relationship isn’t only about money.
How To Find Important Dates
Social Media: Most times, you’d find the company’s creation date in their bio. You can also look through the founder’s page. They most likely made a post to announce and celebrate their new company.
Google: A simple search can also give you all the information you need. As a plus, use the syntax code: “allintitle” or “allintext” followed by a colon and your keyword to get information.
For example:
allintitle: Shamal Badhe
Creative Gifts
- A handwritten card plus flowers
- A small gift basket with local delicacies
- A donation to a charity the client supports
- A voucher
- A free product or consultation for them or their customers
Talk To Them
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of seeing the same tactics everywhere.
Stop sending emails hoping to find me well with a survey or feedback form attached to it.
You’re not the only business doing that. You will be ignored and forgotten.
So, let’s talk about how you can stand out.
Choose a Medium for Communication
Most people prefer emails and I understand why.
It’s professional and everyone uses it.
I’m not against it, but in my opinion, emails scream, “This is professional and strictly business”
And as much as it is business, we wouldn’t mind making a friend or two.
So, add them on LinkedIn or get their personal email address and not the company email.
But ultimately, choose whatever medium that works best for you.
Pros and Cons of Communication Channels (My Opinion)
- Email (versatile, documented)
- Phone calls (personal touch)
- Social media (informal, interactive)
- Video conferencing (in-depth discussions)
The Content of Your Message
NEVER send out generic messages. You’ll get ignored. Or like the Gen Z likes to call it “ghosted”.
I know it can be hard to craft personalized messages for 5–10 clients, but if you’re trying to keep them, you must craft those messages one at a time.
If you didn’t know, it costs about 5x more to gain a new customer than to preserve the ones you have. And as a startup, money isn’t something you have to waste.
But I digress. Let’s get back to the content of your message…
You need to show some personality:
Hello Pascal,
I hope this message finds you well.
I’m writing to…
❌❌❌ Absolutely not!
Hi Pascal! How are you doing? I hope you’re great.
I just thought about our last conversation and wondered if you needed any further assistance.
I’d be happy to help!
✅✅✅ Note the extra “i’s,” the exclamation points at the end of the message. Sure, it doesn’t scream professional, but it screams friendly and approachable.
PS: Your messages don’t have to look exactly like this, but I hope you get the point.
These are just a few of the many customer retention techniques I’ve used over the years. But I’m always happy to share more.
If you’re a B2B startup looking for more creative ways to retain your customers, send me a DM I’d be happy to help.
I’d do an audit of your business and then I can proffer solutions. Sounds good?
