Why You Should Keep Regular Contact with Customers

The first time people look at any given ad, they usually don’t even see it.
The second time, they don’t notice it.
The 20th time prospects see the ad, they buy what it is offering.

This insight was penned by Thomas Smith way back in 1885, more than a hundred years ago. But these words are not outdated or obsolete. His accurate observation still holds true to this day. Why? Simply because this concept is based on what modern psychology calls as the “mere exposure effect.” It’s a phenomenon that we experience naturally – the more we are exposed to something, the more it becomes likable. And we get increased preference to it.

But how does this help in your business?

Your Own Advertising

In a computer break-fix business, it’s very unlikely that your customers will regularly visit your shop. Either on a weekly or a monthly basis. Out of sight, out of mind. Eventually, they forget that experience they had and your great service. And after a long time, it may be difficult to reach out to them when you promote your business again.

But if you establish a constant presence to your customer, they become more familiar with your business. This translates to trust. At first, your customers may think they don’t need your service. But it’s different if they see your business often. They become more familiar with it. And this develops into a preference of doing business with you. So if you reach out to them to offer your services or products, you will likely encounter less resistance.

Your constant exposure to your clients also reminds them of their needs. Everyone is busy nowadays, and it’s one priority task after another. What seemed to be an urgent need to buy  a new Anti Virus today, may not seem to be important tomorrow. Or it gets buried among a hundred other tasks your customers need to do. But your presence can remind them of what they need – and may prompt them to give you a call.

Subject Matter Expert

If you seek expert advice, would you prefer to have it from someone you barely know about? Or would you rather have it from someone who’s always there? Again, familiarity breeds trust. And when you have repeated point of contact with your customers, they become more familiar with your business. Should they need help with their computers, you will be their go-to guy.

Giving regular tips to your customer regarding computer care is a great way to maintain your virtual presence. And it helps establish you and your business as an authority in your field. People will always prefer doing business with someone they trust. Even if there are other computer repair shops near their area, your customers will still prefer to do business with you. So it’s wise to invest your time in keeping a constant presence with your customers.

Use the Right Tool

So we go down to that question – what’s the right tool to keep regular contact with your customers? Well, there are a number of ways including social media, physical mailings and email newsletters. Sending email newsletters is our preferred way here at Technibble and we like it so much we built a product around it.

However, you may think that social media sites are the best way to have exposure for your business. While social media is important, not everyone can be on social media. But everyone has an email address, especially the older crowd which are much more likely to be business owners. Plus, people who open emails are there to read and not surf the net. So this means that customers who open your newsletters have the time and intent to read. By being familiar with you, your customers develop a preference. Now, let’s consider several excellent benefits that comes with consistently sending out newsletters on email.

Maintains relationship. Sending newsletters regularly is an excellent way to keep in touch with your customers. It requires minimal effort to produce, with the help of current desktop publishing software. You can use appealing designs and send it in an instant to your contacts. Your regular articles remind your customers of your company and the services you provide. So the next time your customers need a product or service that you offer, they are likely to call you because you’re the one they hear from regularly.

Low cost. Electronic newsletters are relatively inexpensive to produce compared to its traditional counterpart. It’s even more cost effective than online ads. It eliminates paper cost, postage stamps, and frees more time for you. Once you get settled with a template for your newsletter, it will be easier to produce as time goes on.

Reaches target market. Your newsletters target a very specific audience – people who already showed interest in your business. And because you are familiar with whom you’re keeping in touch with, you’d know what topic will spark their interest. This kind of fine-tuned target audience saves you a lot of time and effort. And newsletters can be used as your marketing tool in a way that is not obtrusive. An article about a product or service that you offer reminds your customers of their needs while not blatantly asking for a sale.

Easy to share. Another great feature of an electronic newsletter is that it can be easily forwarded to another recipient. It can reach far and wide in this digital age. Your customer may not need the information you send out, but maybe a family member or a friend does. People are more receptive of something that was recommended by someone close to them. So when your customers share your newsletter to someone they know, you can be sure it will have another captive reader. And this is all through the click of a button.

Yes, in this internet age it’s a lot easier to keep constant contact with your customers by sending out newsletters on a regular basis. You can take your time, sit down and write about your content. Or you can save time and effort by making use of a done-for-you newsletter such as our White-Label Newsletter for IT providers. Either way, you can reap the rewards that comes with keeping in touch frequently with your customers.