Why You Need Sticky Customers (and How to Get Them)

Several years ago, there was a restaurant that I frequented on Saturday nights.

They served a wide variety of pizza, and every Friday and Saturday night there was a different live jazz band playing.

If you wanted to get a seat, you needed to book weeks in advance.

Considering how busy the restaurant was, I attributed their success to the unique atmosphere, with live music, wine, and great food that made the restaurant such a popular spot for both families and singles.

As I began frequenting the establishment, I realized that it wasn’t the atmosphere or the great food that continued to pack the restaurant every single weekend. It was the owner, who was by all definitions a master at selling.

Once you were seated at the restaurant, the owner stopped by your table to greet you and engage in small talk.?

If you had been at the restaurant before, he referred to you, and anyone else with you, by name.

If there was anything missing from the table, he immediately summoned someone to address the issue.

As he departed, he always made an offer for more food, wine, or dessert.

He never practised a hard sell – after all, no one needs to be forced to eat great pizza!

Instead, he spent his evenings ensuring every patron’s experience was top notch, creating what I refer to as “sticky customers.”

Beyond the initial sale, sticky customers offer you three additional sales that might otherwise be missed, namely:

1. The upsell: The addition of something of higher value to the sale.
2. The resell: The desire to return and buy again.
3. Referrals: Introductions to others who would appreciate what you sell.

In sales, we focus much of our attention on making the initial sale. Once it’s complete, we often move along to the next opportunity.

In doing so, we can often miss out on these three additional sales.

The next time you interact with a prospect, consider how you can play the long-game and make them a “sticky customer”:

• Slow down the initial experience.
• Remain in the moment to build rapport.
• Personalize every interaction.
• Be explicit about your desire to ensure they have a great experience.
• Seek opportunities to introduce greater value.
• Mention your desire to maintain a long-term relationship.
• Share your intention to gain a referral when the time is right.

Remember, the easiest sale is the one before you right now.

Take a lesson from the restaurant owner and focus on building sticky customers, and you’ll never have to worry about where to find your next prospect.

Best,

Shawn

P.S. Thank you to those of you who added a review on Amazon for my latest book, The Unstoppable Sales Machine. For those who haven’t, I would be very appreciative if you could add a review. Use this link , scroll down and select the “write a customer review” button on the left. If you don’t yet have a copy, hit reply and I’m happy to send you one.