Published:

03/29/2013 07:03pm

How To Implement Your Business Loyalty Program

Open your purse or wallet and count how many store cards you have. I open mine and I definitely have several. Business after business love to give you a loyalty card but how many of them actually keep in touch with you? Of the cards I have, I can split them into two piles:

Pile 1: I shop there regularly and receive regular contact from them.

Pile 2: I have been in once and never been there again or heard from them (chuck these in the bin)

If you are a retailer in Pile 1 - this is great news! You have made an effort to produce a loyalty card and to store information about your customer. What have they bought? How much have they spent? Which brands do they like? And so on...

And you are keeping in touch with them. Remember, though, don't get left behind with just using newsletters or email. Start to get into Social Media, too (FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.).

Look around when you are in your store and you will spot several people walking around looking downwards at their phone, rather than upwards at your shop. So keep up the contact and use many avenues to get in front of the customers' eyes.

If you are a retailer in Pile 2 - what a wasted opportunity! Your customer has spent some money with you and has voluntarily given you their email address and / or mobile number.

Email can be such a powerful tool. I know people are busy and they get 100′s of email a day but you now have their email addresses and you want their repeat business, so keep in contact regularly (by the way do always give them an option to unsubscribe from your newsletter).

Remember it is easier to get one customer to come and shop with you 10 times a year than to get 10 new customers in that year.

We all watch TV and we wonder why every other advertisement is for shampoo or cars. You may not want to buy that product at that precise moment but you may in 1 month's time or you may know someone who wants a new car.

Use the tools and avenues you have to get those customers back. They have spent with you once and if you market to them correctly they will shop with you again and again.

Questions for you:

1. Have you implemented a Loyalty Card system and it has fallen to the low priority list or is not maintained by your or your staff?

2. Do you have a mailing list of customers and are not too sure what to do with the information you have gathered?

Hiten Thakrar is the first person you'll see when visiting Sydney's Zantini Menswear shop. Best known as "H," he is passionate about providing quality menswear as well as exceptional service and advice regarding how to be the best dressed man you can be. Visit www.ZantiniMenswear.com to receive "How to Look Great and Save Cash With Your Business Clothing," along with tips, tricks and some great menswear fashions.