Want More Customers? Leverage Your Existing Ones

While many businesses treat their existing customers like bench warmers while they scout for new clientele, they shouldn't.

Businesses who ask questions will not only have a better understanding of their customer's wants and needs, but they will in turn be primed with the information they need to effectively target new customers.

The beauty of this arrangement is that it provides you with an opportunity to strengthen the relationship you have with existing customers, while simultaneously fueling up your customer acquisition strategy.

If your business is ready to tap into your best source of business growth, we've come up with a few ways to help you drum up information from your existing customer base. 

Keep Tabs on Social Media

Whether your customers want to criticize you or praise you, the word will get out on social.

Social media is changing the pace for engagement, and all it takes is one bad review to snowball into a troublesome matter for your business. 

In fact, studies show that 46% of people feel they can be brutally honest on the Internet. 38% aim to influence others when they express their preferences online. (Source: Harris Poll)

While there are certainly downsides to this new avenue for customer feedback, it also provides businesses with a way to turn frowns upside down. 

The more customers relationships you can salvage, the better your reputation will be when prospective customers go searching for you.

By keeping tabs on social media, you can collect unsolicited customer feedback that you wouldn't normally have access to. This type of information can be used to improve aspects of your marketing strategy that will make it more appealing to prospects.

Issue a Survey

A survey is a great way to identify not only what you're doing right as a business, but perhaps more importantly, what you're doing wrong.

While surveys are a bit more of a traditional method for collecting customer insight, it is still highly effective nonetheless. 

You'll want to ask question that work to detect satisfaction rates, information regarding customer experience and expectations. This can be achieved by presenting questions like:

• How would you describe your overall experience?
• Did the product/service deliver the results you anticipated? 
• Do you have any suggestions for improvement?
• Would you purchase from us again? Why or why not?

By obtaining answers to these questions, or questions like them, you can use the information to inform your business' strategy. They will help you to identify any weak areas that you may need to take action on, which will ultimately make it easier to acquire future customers.

Collect Testimonials

Customer testimonials serve as a highly effective way for businesses to maintain a sparkling reputation. 

Why are they so powerful? They serve as a form of social proof. 

If people see that your product or service is working/has worked for others, they'll be more likely to believe that it can work for them too. The implications of social proof are all sorts of magical. 

So how does one acquire one of these magical marketing tools? Just ask.

If your existing customers are truly satisfied with your product or service, it's likely that they wouldn't mind taking 5 minutes to provide you with a few kind words for you to display on your website. 

It's important that you don't let things get stale. You should update your testimonials from time to time to ensure that all of the information is relevant and up to date with the products and services you are currently offering.