Statistically, your business has a close to a 70% chance of selling again to a previous customer, and about a 5% chance of selling to a new prospect. Because of this, your current customers are your best bet for staying profitable in the coming months. Our world is in a strange situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, and many businesses are fighting to survive until our country can be fully “open” again. It could be several months before people feel completely comfortable frequenting businesses the way they used to, which will make acquiring new customers even more difficult. 

Now more than ever, your business should be connecting with current customers to set up your future success. Consumers who already trust your business will be much more likely to work with you again as long as you’re keeping up on your relationship with them. 

What can businesses do during the quarantine period to keep current customers interested in working with them again, now or in the future?

• Stay Connected: First and foremost, you should continue to connect with your customers where it’s most convenient for them. Reaching out to your customers through email, text message and social media engagements is your key to a successful future. Engaging with your customers in between purchases increases their emotional connection to your brand. The stronger the connection consumers feel to your business, the more likely they are to continue working with you. Whether they call you for services now, or wait until they feel safe around the public again, your business only stands to benefit from staying connected. 

• Help Any Way You Can: It can be hard finding ways to continue to help your customers when we’re supposed to be social distancing. When you’re in the home service industry, it can seem daunting trying to serve customers digitally. However, there are still things businesses can do to provide service to their customers during the quarantine, which will build more and more trust for future interactions. Provide tips related to your industry and expertise on social media and through email engagements to help your customers with household projects while they’re stuck at home. Respond quickly to inquiries through your website, social pages, phone calls and text messages to show customers that they can count on you even when things are tough. Continuing to be a source of help and support to your customers now will pay off in the months to come.

• Offer Discounts on Future Services: It may seem counterproductive to offer discounts and coupons right now. However, even people who aren’t business owners are suffering financially right now and would appreciate any discounts they receive. If you can afford to offer a discount on future services, your customers will appreciate it. Providing an incentive to work with your business is a great way to bring customers back, while making sure they don’t choose a competitor over your business next time they have a need in your industry. 

For more insights on marketing strategy that actually works for small business, connect with Jay Bean, Founder of FreshLime and Small Business Marketing Expert on LinkedIn and Twitter. If any of these tips have helped you or if you have anything to add, please comment below. We’d love to hear from you!