One morning a carpenter visited his client’s house to discuss a job offer about adding more space in the kitchen and another bedroom upstairs. On his way back to his pickup, the carpenter spotted one of the neighbors cutting grass in his lawn, a former client.

“Howdy,” the carpenter said.

“Hey, what’s up?” the former client said. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve been contracted to renovate this house,” the carpenter said, touching the brim of his cap. He noticed the former client’s house was recently renovated, too. He could smell the fresh paint.

The former client looked at him. “I wish I knew you were still around. Didn’t you move to Arizona?”

“Arizona?” the carpenter said. “I fixed the house of a friend there last summer. No way I’m moving to Arizona.”

The former client shook his head. He raised his shoulders. “Tough luck. I just got my kitchen redesigned. I wish I knew,” he said.

The carpenter learned an important lesson. As a small business owner or service professional, you must get in touch with your customers-before, during and after the sale. You need to. These are hard economic times, and every business expert out there will tell you that it costs 10 to 15 times more to get a new customer to do business with you than to keep a patron happy. Doing it any other way simply doesn’t make sense from a business perspective.

Good news is as it turns out there are more than a few ways to keep in touch with your existing customers without burning a hole in your pocket. This is a combination of material distribution and PR, discussed in detail below.

1. Send newsletters. Newsletters are a great way to stay in touch with your customers and likewise have them keep track of your business. Print some new information about yourself-the owner, share details about your new hires, maybe even some products or services that are “coming soon.”

Newsletters work because people actually read them. One-page flyers are crumpled up and thrown in the trash.

2. Say “thank you” with a note. When a customer makes a big purchase, or else contracts you for a large project, send him or her a simple “thank you” note to show your appreciation. Even better, write the note yourself.

3. Distribute brochures. Brochures are a nice investment because they’re an easy way to disseminate information about your business. It’s really like taking a “snapshot” of what you do and what the customer can expect from you, and then sending the picture to everyone you know.

4. Treat customers with respect. When there’s a hysterical woman in front of you, and even when she’s clearly at fault, always treat your customers with respect. They’ll remember this kind attitude when they’ve regained their temper and thank you for it. Repeat business tend to favor well-respected companies.

Putting in the extra effort to attract new customers is no mortal sin. But you’re playing it wrong when you do so at the expense of keeping your existing patrons happy, contented, and most importantly, curious about your business. A bored customer is as dangerous as an unfaithful partner, just about.

Author Bio: Jon Orana is a Canada-based internet marketer and social media specialist who writes informative blog posts on the subject during his free time. You can visit his website at Calgary Internet Marketing for more info on his services. You can also visit his website Calgary Internet Marketing for more articles and tips on internet marketing.

Category: Marketing
Keywords: Jon Orana, marketing plan, repeat business