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Strategies to Attract and Keep Customers
Jody Padgham Farmers who sell their products by direct marketing need to take the time to reflect on successes and failures in the business. Reflection is not enough, however. Change can be difficult, but assessing what worked and what didn’t will provide successful direct marketers with the opportunity to anticipate and respond to customer needs and wants.

Keeping customers satisfied ustomers are the lifeblood of your business, so it is crucial to maximize customer satisfaction. Some degree of customer turnover is inevitable, but successful food marketers will retain repeat customers. It costs about five times more to bring in a new customer than to keep an existing one.

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If you answered “yes” to nine or more questions, you are a better-than-average market operator. Below six is poor; between six and nine is mediocre. Surveys show that a customer who has an unpleasant experience at your business will tell ten or more people about it. Building a successful, positive image with your customers enhances your overall credibility. Living up to that image creates valuable word-of-mouth publicity. Customers most often base their purchasing decisions on the advice of people they know.

Keeping the customers you serve happy can be your best marketing tool.
A successful direct marketer should work constantly to find out what the consumer wants and develop products that satisfy customer demands. When customers are satisfied, they will not only return to support your business, but will also tell others what you have to offer. Consumer interests and demands should serve as production cues to farmers and food marketers. By knowing what customers want, you can change production or presentation strategies to better fit consumers’ wishes.

Is customer turnover at a minimum? Below are questions to help evaluate your