Today we share a lesson provided from master business coaches Dr Jackie Kelly and Courtney Lodge who operate sureprofitscoach.com.

They cite the advice of As Jay Abraham who says, “Your best prospects are your existing customers. If you’ve been putting all your marketing efforts into acquiring new customers, stop and divert some of your resources into reselling, upselling, and cross-selling to those same customers. In every way possible — through package inserts, regular mailings, special offers — stay in touch with those customers and get them used to buying from you.”

Don’t make a sale and start immediately to look for the next buyer. Dr Jackie Kelly and Courtney Lodge advise businesses to put quality time into educating and retaining existing customers.

Kelly and Lodge state in sureprofit’s online blog, “You need to spend a good chunk of your time retaining current and former customers.

“These are people you already know to be a good sales potential…they’ve already bought from you! Take the time to market and sell new products to your old customers and less time trying to sell old products to new customers and you will see a drastic change in your sales, customer quality and branding position.”

The business coaches say that key elements to retain current customers include staying in contact: This means by phone, email, e-newsletter and in person.

Next, offer post-purchase assurance: This means, Kelly and Lodge states, “ you need to follow up with customers. Your customers need to feel like they are being supported for their purchase and with the item they purchased. How many times have you purchased a product, then felt completely abandoned? Something as simple as a Thank You note with your contact or customer service information can go a long way in retaining a great customer.”

You should also offer deals and guarantees: Always offer your current customers the best deals and guarantees you have.

The coaches state, “Show them you appreciate their business or even come up with a club specifically to reward loyal customers. You can also do this with a preferred pricing option.”

Kelly and Lodge advise, “Be integritous.”

“Use good business practices and uphold integrity, dignity and honesty which all go along way with customers. The safer and more confident you make your customers feel, the more they will trust you and that makes for an amazingly supportive and loyal customer.”

Kelly and Lodge cite three cornerstone ideas to a successful business: A quality product/service; offering useful products/services that solve a problem for or enhance the life of a customer; and offering subjects your customers find interesting.

They advise, “Use the approach of educating your customers and offering them real information and insight and you will be rewarded with loyalty and success. Stop wasting all your time on new prospects while your current customers fall by the wayside.”

Jackie Kelly, EdD, is a Jamaican educator, entrepreneur, author, and master business coach. Courtney Lodge is a banker, business transformation consultant, personal mastery life coach, motivational speaker, trainer, entrepreneur, author, and real estate developer in Jamaica.