Drew McLellan summarizes as well as anyone I’ve seen the reasons why it’s smart to focus on your existing customers as well as going out looking for new ones. See his post, Concentrate on the old this week.
Here are the advantages he mentions:
- They know who you are and trust/like you enough that they’ve done business with you
- They are more likely to take your calls than a prospect
- You’ll be able to get past their gatekeeper
- They’ve already experienced your product
- They are also great referral sources
- They are the source of testimonials
- If they had a good experience, they will want more
And as I’ve said before, one of the best uses of newsletters is to do just that. You’ll nurture your relationship with them, building trust to a whole new level.
By the way, Drew is the co-creator of the Age of Conversation book. Do you have your copy yet?