What Is a Customer Loyalty Program and How Does It Impact Your Business?

In today's world, businesses are in fierce competition with each other. This ranges from the large mega-stores to the small mom and pop stores on the corner. All these stores want the same thing, customer loyalty. They want their customers to choose them over another business and remember them when they have a need for future purchases.

Do key chain tags, punch cards, and frequent shopper/flyer cards ensure that customers will do business with your company? Maybe, if your prices are competitive enough. However, these marketing tactics do nothing to promote a relationship with the customer.

One of the best methods of developing customer loyalty is to build a long-term connection with the customer. Do this by adding a personal touch to the business relationship by keeping in contact with existing customers.

Businesses used to keep in touch with customers by phone. This does not work in today's market, however. People are busy and don't want to be interrupted by a phone call. Since most people are out of the house during the day, you would have to call at night during the customer's "me" time. There is also caller ID. Customers tend not to pick up the phone if they do not know who is calling.

If you maintain an e-mail list, you can keep in contact with your customers through e-mail. However, spam is so prevalent today that it is becoming harder and harder to get a customer's attention through e-mail.

The best way to develop a strong customer-company bond in today's marketplace is through personalized marketing. Send greeting cards. Greeting cards are opened and they promote good will.

By sending greeting cards, you remind your past customers of your business and the quality products or services you supplied. Since word of mouth advertising is the least costly and most effective means of acquiring new customers, keeping your business in your past customer's mind is paramount to your success.

When would you send a card? Some suggestions are:

Birthday Cards, Holiday Cards, Thank You for the Referral Cards, and Reminders of Important Event Cards such as annual sales.

If you're thinking that you do not have the time to generate sales and leads using greeting cards, use a greeting card professional that can send the cards for you for less cost than hiring your own employee.

Jan Smith has been in a professional organization for 35 years.Trust your company's image to Greeting Card Professionals. Specializing in professionally printed greeting cards set up with a campaign designed to further develop your relationships with your current clients and generate word of mouth referrals.

For more information go to