By Mélissa Toutant, marketing coordinator
With the holidays right on our doorstep, online sales have definitely been spiraling. According to the Quebec Retail Council, 49% of Quebec will do their shopping online this year, a percentage that increases considerably every year. However, just because the purchases occur online doesn’t mean that the follow-up after sales isn’t important.
Finding new customers is important for any business, except the list of current customers mustn’t be forgotten. Immediately after a sale is the right time to try and persuade a second purchase. According to the BDC, it is 7 times more expensive to sell to a new customer compared to a returning customer.
The relationship you establish with your customers is therefore essential to ensure a favorable after-sales service for your company. To do so, here are the 5 steps for effective monitoring, along with the benefits involved!
Competition in some areas can sometimes be fierce and consumers are doing more research before purchasing. They therefore expect companies to meet their needs and respond to their problems effectively.
This is even more important when it comes to bigger purchases. The consumer will not only buy your product, they will expect the service they receive to be up to their expectations. The after-sales services play a role in the client’s decision to purchase.
To show that your business stands out, the after-sales services must have a big impact to improve your sales. Using a satisfaction survey is always a good way to gather information about your services, making way to improvements.
Several benefits include:
If your customer has just made a purchase then they deserve a thank you, whether by sending an automated email after their purchase or a thank you note added to the invoice (especially if it’s written by hand). You make your customer’s experience more attractive and you show that he chose well by doing business with you. In addition, with the name of a person to contact in case of questions, you reassure the buyer that your company is doing everything they can.
One or two weeks after the purchase, it is advantageous to contact your customer to ask them if they are satisfied, received good service or if they have any questions. This contact serves only as a mark of attention, not to sell them more. The goal is to know his appreciation of the product or service sold.
You can continuously maintain communication with your client by sending an e-newsletter to inform them about topics that affect them, or by offering information through articles, videos, guides and webinars to help advise them on needs. You will show, by maintaining communication, your professionalism and expertise. If you give them all the information they need, they will be much less likely to go elsewhere.
Now that your customer has confidence in you, it’s the time to offer another sale. Offering them a new product, service or something related to their previous purchase.
If your client appreciates you, there is no reason not to recommend you. Happy customers will be eager to help you offer your services or products to those around them. Their opinion will be more taken into consideration than an advertisement.
On the web, there are several ways to provide after-sales services to your customers, including newsletters and email marketing. With an automated sequence of personalized emails, you can easily follow-up with your customers and will give you the best chance to retain them and make other sales.
The Adeo Marketing team can give you a hand in creating your email marketing. Don’t wait until tomorrow to make your sales, automate your after-sales services now!
