Customer Lifecycle: Stage 1: How to create an effective welcome stage
At TIH we define the customer lifecycle stages as:
Welcome | Nurture | Grow | Retain | Reactivate
This first stage is so important, but all too often, businesses fall short in making the most of it. Welcome programmes can come across as generic and treat all new customers as the same, before quickly launching into promotions and offers.
Little attention is given to getting to know the customer and tailoring a customer-led conversation. By understanding who they are and what led them to purchase from you will start the relationship off in a more meaningful way – allowing you to introduce you and your brand values, and to open up your repertoire to the customer in a relevant manner.
Differentiation is the key to success
At TIH we know the key to truly understanding and engaging with your customers lies in their customer data. We help our clients to walk in their customers’ shoes, through the interpretation of their customer data – their transaction patterns, the timing of their purchases, their engagement with your brand, and even seasonal behaviours. What are they doing when, and why?
By analysing these behaviours, we gain the insight needed to build a tailored and customer-centric strategy. The clues are there, waiting to be found in the data—and must be interpreted in the context of your business goals.
As an example, many people join a gym at this time of year hoping to tone up ahead of those summer days at the beach. But not all recruits will have the same motivation or dedication. So what if you could use those early behaviours to identify who is a real gym bunny, who is on a long term health kick and who is probably going to lose interest after starting off too hard? The ability to tailor your communications, and prioritise your budget is all there in the data. Meaning that hopefully all your recruits will stay the test of time with a little guidance from you.
Start the relationship off on the right terms
The first impression you make with a new customer is critical. That initial interaction can set the tone for the entire relationship. Think of it as a handshake—an opportunity to warmly greet your new customer, demonstrate your values, and show them why they made the right choice in joining your brand. They need to have the reassurance that entering a relationship with you, even if at a superficial level was the right choice.
You need to take this opportunity to show them your wares, to confirm your values and standards of trading. This initial handshake is so often overlooked or rushed. Why would you want to launch into onboarding before establishing the relationship, understanding each other’s terms? Put it into real terms and do things in the right, expected order…the waiter at a restaurant checks for any allergies before passing your order to the kitchen. Instead, focus on building rapport and setting expectations. This is where TIH’s multi-step welcome program comes in, carefully constructed with a series of sequential emails to help nurture the customer journey.
A multi-step welcome builds the foundations
The purpose of this stage in the lifecycle programme is to establish the foundation for creating each customer’s purchase into a habit, a loyal one, driving higher and longer-term value.
Each stage in the welcome journey should be an intelligent interaction, with every touchpoint carefully designed to deepen the customer’s relationship with the brand.
- First Impression: Firstly, introduce the customer to your brand, clarify what they can expect from your relationship, and set the tone for the communications to follow.
- Personalisation: Use data from the outset to tailor your messaging, even if it’s as simple as acknowledging their preferences.
- Next Steps: Preview the content or offer in the upcoming email, ensuring the customer knows what’s coming. This helps them stay engaged and sets clear expectations for future communications.
Remember: the longer your buying cycle, the longer your welcome program should be. And above all, make sure it’s not just about selling—it’s about building a relationship.
With the proliferation of apps and digital engagement, some days our inboxes are full of welcome emails but all too many are a mirror image of the website; others go straight in with money off offers.
You don’t rock up to a reception desk at a nice hotel and get offered a discount on your next visit before you’ve even checked in. They take the time to tell you about their services, the amenities in your room, where the restaurant is, what’s in the local area, etc.
And while you’re staying, they can collect data – what you ate and drank, recreations you booked, time in the pool, where you travelled from, who you came with, why you visited (business, pleasure, celebration etc), even what you had from the mini bar!
Apply the same process to your own customers – the journey should make sense and create useful data to harvest and use strategically in future communications.
Read our other two blogs in this series to find out more:
Customer Lifecycle Stage 2:
Personalise your communications for effective customer relationships
Customer Lifecycle Stage 3:
Customer relationships need to be nurtured