Howdy Friends,
I’ve been thinking about customer retention lately, partly because of what is happening in my own business. I recently hired my first junior marketing assistant, which has made me think a little differently about growth. It is one thing to say you want to grow. It is another thing to realize that growth means more responsibility and making sure your business stays healthy enough to support everyone.
A lot of marketing talk is about getting new leads, customers, jobs, and opportunities. Of course, those things matter. Every business needs new work coming in. If the phone stops ringing, it can make you uncomfortable in a hurry. But growth is not only about new customers. It is also about staying connected with the people who already know and trust you.
Retention in plain language means past customers remember you, come back when they need more work, and refer you when someone else asks for help.
In marketing speak, we call this customer lifetime value. . It is the total value of the relationship, not just the money made on the first project. It usually costs more to earn trust from a stranger than it does to stay connected with a past customer who already knows whether you show up, communicate clearly, clean up, and do what you said you would do. If their experience was good, you are not starting from zero anymore. This makes your customer retention efforts look a lot less like extra marketing and a lot more like smart business.
But that does not mean your happy customer will automatically remember you. That is where a lot of businesses get a little too comfortable. They do good work and assume that will be enough. To be clear, good work is non-negotiable. If the work is poor, no newsletter, gift, or social post will fix it.
But good work alone does not always keep you top of mind.
People get busy. They forget names and lose phone numbers. They see someone else’s truck, ad, or post at the right time. That is why staying connected matters.
For some businesses, a simple quarterly newsletter works well. More frequent is better, but if you are worried you’re going to be a bother, every quarter is a good place to start. The more often you show up with something useful, the more likely people are to remember you. The point is to stay helpful enough that your name is still familiar when your customer needs you again.
To the point of being annoying, most annoying newsletters are simply a constant sales pitch. Don’t be “that guy”. Send something valuable like a spring checklist for getting the AC ready, a fall reminder about preparing the home for winter, or a list of things homeowners should think through before starting a project.
Retention goes beyond digital marketing. When I worked in lawn care, my former boss sent his customers a homemade maple twist roll every Christmas. We’re not talking about a little snack either. This thing filled a whole pizza pan. You don’t have to do something that involving, but it is a great example of staying remembered in a way that feels personal and generous. You are planting goodwill that can turn into repeat work and referrals. Your past customer may not need your service right now, but they may know someone who does. When you stay useful and visible, they are more likely to remember you when their neighbor asks, “Do you know anybody who does this?”
So if you are thinking about marketing, don’t only think about how to get the next new lead. Think about the people who already trusted you once. Are you staying connected with them, or are you starting from scratch every time you need more work?
If you want help building marketing that keeps you useful, remembered, and easy to refer, I’m glad to help. You can contact me here.
Later, Chad Beachy
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