What is a customer contacts list?
Every time you interact with a potential new customer (or current customer), you should be grabbing their name and email so as you have a direct line of communication with them. These people will become part of your customer email list and hopefully your loyal fans.
Why you should build your own email contact list
If you're serious about generating repeat business, repeat revenue, and an audience that grows and becomes advocates of your services then you need to be growing your list as much as possible.
If you launch new services, products or just want your current customers to return en masse, it's important that you're communicating regularly with them. These 'touchpoints' will create top of mind awareness meaning they are more likely to spend their hard-earned cash with you as opposed to somewhere else.
How to build up a high-quality customer list for your business
Be proactive! Just finished running a course, a class, or another on or offline event and there are newbies attending? Be direct and ask anyone not on your current list to join it!
Building a huge but high quality list of fans
Quite simply it's a numbers game when it comes to you having a finite product or service to sell. If you have 100 people on your contacts list as opposed to 10, then it's more likely you'll sell out quicker. If you have 1000 contacts, then you're in expansion mode and will be able to create more revenue streams or develop real desire through scarcity and FOMO.
If you're communicating regularly to your list then you'll start to generate high-quality word-of-mouth referrals to their family and friends, social media shares, and new disciples who are interested in your business and personal brand.
More followers, more fans, more devotees = more money in your bank meaning you can live a more enjoyable life and indulge your passions more often 🏆
Our top 6 pro tips for making the most of your own customer list
- Give your customer base an actual reason to follow you and join your list. i.e before they sign up, tell them things that will get them excited such as "make sure you join my list as that's where I share my new classes first" or "everyone who's signed up to my mailing list gets 10% off"
- Don't spam these folks, but make sure you communicate regularly to them with insights and updates that they won't get anywhere else. i.e if you're a surf instructor it could be 'my top places to take a surf vacation this year' or 'how to pull off the perfect Reverse 360' - think of these episodic regular newsletter emails and updates as a way of educating and giving useful tips to your audience.
- The vast majority of successful independent businesses succeed because their customers really buy into the person running them. Be genuine, show your real self, make running your business fun for you and them.
- Don't just use your list for marketing. Ask for feedback on your offering and what they like and don't like about what you're currently running. This way, it's a two-way street where you can supply what's most in-demand.
- Don't let any high-quality lead (potential customer) slip through your net. Who knows, they may be the person who introduces your next 100 customers to you!
- Social platforms are a great way for building up interest but don't lock yourself into relying on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, etc. By building up your own audience on your own platform, you'll take control of your own destiny and won't be relying on the whims of platforms that are constantly looking for ways to rinse you to speak to your own customers.
Until next time...keep winning
Jonny Quirk
If you like what you've read here, have your own passion economy success story, or want to join the conversation around entrepreneurship then hit me up on Twitter or check out our YouTube channel - I'm always around!
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