In addition to determining your best customers and calculating the sales increase needed to cover the cost of a best-buyer program, several other factors are critical when implementing customer incentives:
- Be realistic. Don’t expect a volume discount program to compensate for a mediocre product, says Gary Hennerberg, of Grapevine, TX-based consultancy Hennerberg Group.
- Know who gets what. If only certain customers are going to qualify for a program, you need to have database and tracking systems in place to keep tabs on them. Otherwise, you may inadvertently offer discounts to customers who don’t do enough business to enable the program to earn its return on investment (ROI).
- Focus on added service. Price cuts aren’t the only perks that belong in a volume-purchasing program. Offering enhanced services is just as valued by clients, and can help you avoid a price war.