10 Ways To Keep Your Clients Coming Back - Building Your Business - Part 4

Everybody spends way to much time looking for new business by putting their marketing focus on new clients. Hey gang, the new business is sitting in your backyard. Turn around and invite the past clients back into your studio. They know you; they love you; they would be happy to come back if they were only asked.

Too many of us fall way short of staying connected with our past clients and consequently are always in super hustle mode shaking new customers out of the trees. As Jim Rohn said, "One customer well taken care of is worth $10,000 worth of business." So how can we keep our clients coming back?

Here are 10 ways to begin.

1. Personally deliver and present their wedding album or portraits to them. You have a captured audience who loves your work and this is a great way to re-affirm that they are important to you. We even offer to hang our portraits for them when we deliver them.


2. Every client should be given referral cards. Each card that finds it way back to you signed by that past client rewards that client with a $25 - $50 credit with your studio.


3. Every wedding album should be delivered with a complimentary family portrait session. It can be used for portraits of their first baby or any other family portrait needs they may have.


4. Never put an expiration date on a gift certificate. Why would you slam the door on a potential client by saying, "This offer expires 12 months from date of purchase." I call it Brain Dead marketing.


5. Send anniversary cards to your wedding clients on their first anniversary. Let them know that you are still thinking of them.


6. Send every past client from the previous year, every current client, and every new client on the books a holiday card with a hand written personal note inside.


7. Don't forget to say "Thank you" in a personal note to your client's after you deliver your product.


8. Follow the local news and specialty publications in your area and be sure to send congratulations to your clients who have received any special honors or awards. Just two days ago, we had two of our best clients named as women of the year here in Cincinnati, OH. Flowers and champagne will be on the way to them by the end of the week.


9. Periodically follow-up with your past clients with special offers just for them. We talked about this in two other posts right here on DigitalProTalk. See the related links below for those stories.


10. Stay involved with your clients. If they are involved in any kind of charity event, offer them your services to help with their event. They really appreciate your effort and it also puts your name in front of the other volunteers too.

OK, how about one more for good measure - Try at least 5 of these ideas and watch your business take a jump to the bottom line.

Hey gang, if you have any to add to the list, please write them in the Comments section of this article - Thanks! -David

DPT Related story links:
10 Ways To Blow Your Own Horn - Or How To Build A Better Press Kit - Building Your Business - Part 3
15 Ways to Create Vendor Buzz - Part 2 of 4Building Your Wedding Business Series – Part 1 of 4

Also see DPT earlier articles here :
Customer Service - A New Paradigm
CPR For Resurrecting Your Old Client List