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Any time you take multiple orders from your customers, they are providing you the information you need to anticipate their future orders.
Offer automated email reminders first. Offer the customer an automated email listing; exactly what he wants at the time and frequency he chooses.
- Products: For example, if a customer orders your product three times at 79 days, 85 days and 94 days, consider offering the customer an automated email offering to place another exact order. Allow them, if they wish, to receive the offer on the 79th day after the last order, or the average of the three or allow him to pick the number of days.
- Hair cut services: For barber shops, if he wants a haircut every four weeks, offer to send an email or a text message to him reminding him his hair is too long on the third week.
- Tire services: For the tire store, send a text to remind the customer to rotate tires every six months.
- Birthday cakes: For custom orders, send texts prior to birthdays, anniversaries or other special occasions.
- Tax preparers: Send emails or text messages to review YTD taxes owed or to prepare for yearend filings.
- Dentists: Send text messages either the day before an appointment or two or three hours prior to the appointment as a reminder to the patient.
Call them prior to their projected order date. If the customer rejects this automated offer, set them up within your system calendar to manually call them and ask what they need. Establish a simple program with IT that analyzes the dates of their previous orders (i.e. average of last three, lowest of last three, etc.) and calculates when you should get on the phone with them. Make sure the date you call is a little early so you catch them prior to placing an order with another firm.
Make it worthwhile to buy from you. While you have them on the telephone, offer to send them a history of what they have ordered, remind them where they stand for volume discounts and discuss any new products in which they may be interested. Offer to send your customer a complimentary sample of your new products if that would be appreciated. Do what you need to keep their attention and do it before they need to order.
