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- Marketing After The Sale
By Donna Dahl
You closed the sale. Now what? Think back to some of your more recent
experiences as a customer. What stands out in your mind? As you were making
the purchase, what took place? Is there a store that you visit more than
others? What is it about that store that attracts you? Is it the environment
that grabs your attention or is it something else? Lower pricing, friendly
sales staff, quality products and consistent services may be on your list of
reasons.
As the buyer or customer, you may recognize some of the following shopping
experiences:
a) The sales associate hands you your bag...the end. You paid for the goods
and then you received the merchandise in a container. Total conversation:
“Where would you like the receipt?”
b) You get to pack your own bag. Large stores where staffing seems
inconsistent at best may offer a more anonymous shopping experience. Some
stores have even installed self-service checkouts for those who just want to
buy, without any social interaction - sort of like buying on the internet,
except that you actually, not virtually, visit the store.
c) If they can read your name, you must be their customer. Some larger
stores try to make themselves feel like a smaller store by substituting the
neighbourhood smile and the “Hi, (your name)” with loyalty programs that are
designed to keep you coming back. This is in hopes that you will become a
repeat buyer lured by the dream of future benefits.
Small Versus Big - Could this mean that the smaller, potentially more
personal vendor is a viably competitive threat to the larger stores?
Absolutely. Could this mean that the entrepreneur, who takes care of his/her
customers and does it with a personal touch, is a challenge to a larger,
perhaps potentially less predictable customer service department? I
personally am not amused by someone misreading my name off my transaction
card in an apparently weak attempt to personalize my visit. The “sale” is
truly all about relationships. The increase in the number of loyalty
programs out there, from credit cards to points to member discounts, tells
us that the emphasis on the repeat customer is a major focus of any
successful business. Statistics that report the amount of money it costs to
acquire a first-time customer may surprise you. How much do you spend and
what do you do to attract new customers? How much do you spend and what do
you do to turn your customers into long term clients?
Post Close: A Critical Event - Post close starts as the money changes hands.
This is a major defining moment in your sale. If your objective was to close
this sale, your work is clearly done. If your objective was to seek a longer
term commitment from the buyer, your work is just beginning. From the
receiving of the purchase to the verbal contract for the next contact, what
continues to add value to your business transaction long after the sale is
“closed?”
If you think of this transaction - this purchase - as an act of courage on
the part of the buyer, is there anything you can say to the buyer to support
that decision? Do you get a sense that up-selling would support your
customer? Do you have a return policy? Any guarantees? Do you have any
special events or sales promotions coming soon? Would a personalized
invitation be in order?
Presentation - How do you present your customer with his/her purchase? When
I make a purchase, I love it when the purchase package looks like I have
just given myself a gift. Think about the difference between a garment, for
instance, carefully wrapped in tissue paper before being gently bagged and a
garment being simply dropped into a plastic bag so the customer gets to deal
with the wrinkles later. Some vendors use amazing imagination to turn a sale
into a gifting experience. How do you communicate to your customer that they
and their purchase are important to you?
Add Value - Do you take the opportunity to add extra value to the purchase?
Perhaps you can include a time-limited, discounted coupon for the next
purchase, or a customer-appreciation gift, like a sampler.
What’s Your Promise? - Capture point-of-sale attention. Do you take the time
to learn the customer’s name and set up a verbal contract for future
communication with the customer? Some call this follow-up. How do you
promote two-way communication?
Opt-In Mailing Lists - These are not just for newsletters on the internet.
Some people like to be notified in advance of special sales events via
personal invitation. Too busy to do this yourself? Hire a company that
specializes in this service.
Post Close Activities - After your customer leaves your venue, your “Post
Close Program” or system should kick in. If you are an internet business,
you may remind your customer base that you are still in business with a
weekly newsletter sent directly to their inbox. If you are dealing with
customers in face-to-face transactions, special promotions to attract repeat
customers may require more advance planning.
What will it take to move your first-time buyer from one-time customer to
client-for-life? Two purchases are better than one and three are better than
two. After all, isn’t it said somewhere that good things come in threes?
Three is a great target as a starting point. How do you reward the customer
who finds their way back to you? Do you reward referrals? Do you reward
customer loyalty?
Survey Opinions - It all boils down to customer appreciation and how you
communicate it and then how you convert it to client satisfaction. What do
your buyers like about the way you do business? Survey your customers,
develop your “Top Ten List of Strengths”, and then clarify them as
promotional assets. Here’s to attracting more customers!
Donna Dahl is a freelance writer who offers proofreading & editing
services. Email mrsddahl@telus.net
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