Networking with previous customers

You're going to get more leads for your business if you take the time to talk to past customers.

Use social media, personal meetings, and a blog post like this one as tools to actively grow your business through networking. In this post, we'll walk you through the different types of networks and provide tips on how best to leverage them in order to generate more leads for your business.

Without further ado, let's jump into it!

Networking with previous customers:   these are the people who are most likely aware of the services that you provide and have had experience with it.

Target the right customers:   in order to network with your past customers, you need to identify who exactly to target. It is important to try a mix of different targeting methods so that you can reach a large portion of your previous customers. Some methods like social media and email marketing are more time consuming than others, but require little effort (we'll discuss them later in this post).

Here are some ideas for targeting your previous clients:

Use your CRM data:   get access to a list of your clients by using a CRM tool like Infusionsoft . This is one of the most efficient ways to contact your past customers because the information that you need is already there. If you don't have a CRM, then you should set one up for your business.

A list of previous customers can also be gathered from your business's email marketing software like MailChimp or Infusionsoft. This is another great way to target previous customers because the entire email can be put together quickly and with minimum effort.

Target clients by customer type:   this is a great strategy to use because it targets past clients who are likely most interested in your business's offerings. You could target clients who fit into categories like "high value" or "low maintenance" clients, or put out there that you only do work with businesses that fit into certain categories.

Target clients who have similar characteristics to your current clients:   you can use this strategy to target past clients who may be interested in what your business has to offer. For example, if all your current clients are Latin American restaurants then you could advertise to previous clients or prospects who are of the same demographic.

Target your network:  social media and personal relationships are great ways for you to reconnect with previous customers. Once these relationships have been established, it's easier for you to reach out and offer help/services as well as referrals.

Get them on sale:   reaching out to prospects and offering them a discount is one of the easiest ways you can start networking with previous customers. Offer a discount to past clients for their next order if they bring in more business for you. This could include doing the same for your current clients as well. Here's a great article on getting clients to refer their friends and family in exchange for a discount, which can also help generate leads.

Create a referral contest:  an effective way of networking with previous customers is to create an incentive-based promotion where you give away prizes (e.g., gift cards) for referring new leads into your business. Here's an example of such campaign from MailChimp . The campaign details can be customized to match your business goals and promote the offer in a way that resonates with your past customers.

The last, but not least, option:   offer a discount on services or products to your current clients if they refer their friends and family. This way you can capture leads in one fell swoop and use them as an opportunity to introduce them (and your other past customers) to your current clientele. They'll be more likely to take the referral because they want the same great service that they're used to getting from you, but Free promotions and discounts are great ways of building relationships with previous customers.

Conclusion: networking with past customers can be a great source of leads and ultimately, fuel your business's growth. These types of networks are the easiest to contact and maintain because they already know who you are and the services that you provide. If you don't have many previous clients, then this strategy may not be as beneficial. Here are some ways to get started in networking with previous customers:

Use your CRM data:   get access to a list of your clients by using a CRM tool like Infusionsoft . This is one of the most efficient ways to contact your past customers because the information that you need is already there. If you don't have a CRM, then you should set one up for your business.