This concept is about three things:
- Marketing is about making it easy for the customer to say “YES!”
- Most customers aren’t incessantly thinking about your product or service and every possible way to buy it from you. Instead, they have more inane things on their mind like the kids, the mortgage, the in-laws, etc.
- A business is not a business unless you have repeat purchasers.
A powerfully simple way to encourage the repeat purchase is to program it. By initiating a series of reminders, rewards, and penalties, it is possible to “program” your customer to repeat purchase “on schedule.”
My dentist does this by booking me 6 months in advance, reminding me 2 weeks before the appointment, and rewarding me with “dental goodies” after my check up. The penalty is a series of calls from the office manager if I fail to come to the appointment (which I’ve NEVER done!)
My auto dealership mails me an oil change/check up reminder notice with a discount coupon, based on my previous driving record that they have maintained in their computer. The penalty for missing the appointment is the lost discount which is only available at specific times geared to MY DRIVING PATTERN.
My couturier mails me a “private clients” notice every time they have a “dirty shirt sale” or a special order of Italian suits arrives. The penalty for missing the sale is a lost opportunity to get a “hot deal.”
By these series of reminders, rewards, and penalties, you can very easily leverage your sales and profits. Initiate a “programming method” in your marketing strategy.
