Over the last two months, we’ve dug deep into every aspect of prepping your business for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Now that we’ve firmly arrived in the end of year sales window, we’re going to examine strategies for retaining customers after big sales periods.
According to the Harvard Business Review, selling to a new client can cost five to 25 times more than an existing client. Getting customers to make that first purchase is tougher than getting them to come back. This is why sales periods like Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Boxing Day represent such a powerful opportunity to grow your business year-round.
Opportunity Knocks
As any entrepreneur will tell you, finding new customers is vital to the long-term growth and resiliency of your business. The period from mid-November to early January may be busy but it’s vital to employ a sound sales follow-up strategy to ensure those customers keep coming back well into the New Year.
It’s a time of great opportunity but it’s also a vulnerable time. The attitude of you and your staff can make or break your future relationship with customers. Here are some strategies to employ to help retain customers following big sales periods.
Start with a Personal Touch
Shipping lots of product this holiday season? A personal touch in each package can create an amazing experience for customers with little expense on your end. Maybe it’s a laptop-friendly sticker (excellent marketing opportunity!), a discount code to encourage future business, or it could even be a personally signed thank you card. Whatever it is, incorporate a small gesture like this into your logistics and it can go a long way to promoting future business.
Follow Up with Customers
Do you have the time to personally check-in with customers following a sale? If you don’t, make the time. Don’t treat this as a further sales opportunity. Instead, engage with them about their buying experience. Ask if there was anything you could have done better. If any issues are reported take them seriously and make a genuine effort to help. This small token proves you are customer focused and can be trusted. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. How impressed would you be by a follow-up call/email like this?
Make Use of a CRM
CRM software organizes all your customer data into one convenient database. This allows any member of your team to seamlessly pick up the thread with customers and instantly understand their history with your company. Not only does this provide superior customer service, it can be used to track customer’s purchase history, giving you valuable data on the types of products they are interested in. You can also use it to help set up marketing opportunities through automated emails and follow-up reminders to your team.
Ask for Referrals
There’s no room to be shy in sales. Happy customers will be open to referring you to their network. It’s now standard practice to request a Google Review from customers. The time to ask for this is once you’ve established they’re happy with their purchase. A recommendation from someone who has used your services carries more weight than any self promotion you could do. You can ask for this referral in-person or make it part of an automatically sent post-sales campaign email. Don’t miss this prime opportunity to grow your base through referrals.
Ready to Help
Ready to step up your customer retention strategy? GD Commerce is standing by to help. Contact Us and find out how we can lessen the load.
Thank you to our GD Commerce Partners:
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