Almost everyone offers bonuses these days to increase the value of their offerings and entice more people to sign up for their programs/products/workshops/etc., but did you know that you can use bonuses to increase customer satisfaction and keep customers coming back for more? In fact, offering a bonus has become somewhat expected and common-place. But you can take advantage of this expectation by shaking it up a bit and using your bonuses not just to get people interested but to truly give them something worthwhile. Something that knocks their socks off and turns them into raving fans of your business (you know, those people who not only buy regularly but refer boatloads of their friends and family).

So here are a few things NOT to do with your bonuses:

DON’T give them something they could get for free. This seems like a no-brainer, but you won’t win customer satisfaction by packaging up your free report and offering it up as a spectacular bonus. When people find out that they paid to get something any Joe off the street can get their hands on for free, they’ll feel betrayed and maybe even a bit ticked-off. You certainly won’t be gaining any long-term clients off the deal. A better bet is to give them a product that is actually offered for sale someplace, like on your web store if you have one. If not, reach out to someone who does have products for sale and ask if they’d be willing to give one of their low-ticket items as a bonus for your product. In exchange, they get exposure for their business (something we could all use more of!).

DON’T give them something unrelated. Another no-brainer, but it bears stating: the bonus should complement your product. So, if you’re a business coach offering a 6-month business mastery course, don’t give a home decorating checklist as a bonus (even if it’s the best darn home decorating tips known to man). Sure, your buyers all live somewhere and most likely have to decorate their homes at some point, but it has nothing to do with growing their business. The disconnect will leave them feeling confused…and as they say, a confused mind never buys!

DON’T pile on even more work. If your main product is pretty intensive, don’t make the bonus more of the same. Instead, offer a cheat sheet or a quick-start guide that will break down to the heart of the materials and give them something to get started on right away. Basically, you want to cut through the overwhelm and give them a clear starting path so they can begin getting results right away, which will likely just leave them excited to dive into the rest of the content and get even MORE results. So, they get the solutions they were looking for and you get a customer who loves your stuff AND can give you great testimonials. It’s a win-win all around!

If you keep these key points in mind, you can use your bonuses to not only provide 110% value to your clients, but to also skyrocket customer satisfaction while keeping them as lifelong customers and referral sources of even more eager clients.

Author's Bio: 

Sarah Jo Wood is founder of Evolving Advisors Inc. and author of ‘How to turn a No or a Maybe into a Yes!” Her coaching program teaches entrepreneurs like you to overcome objections so you can sign up all the clients you want, fill your practice, and increase your bottom line. To begin supercharging your sales, download your complimentary sales package today at www.evolvingadvisors.com.