Texts, notes and calls can boost sales by 18%.
This article originally appeared in the June 2016 edition of INSTORE.
FOR MOST STORES, the weakest area in selling happens after the sale is closed. What do you do for your client after he or she leaves the store?
Most sales teams think it’s the owner’s responsibility to bring in clients by spending vast amounts of money on advertising, and this is partly true. But part of the definition of salesmanship is your professional ability to create sales. As a sales associate, you too are responsible for proper follow-up, such as the following:
1. Calling clients about repairs when they’re ready to be picked up
2. Calling two weeks after the repair was picked up to make sure the job was “perfect”
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Your team is an extension of who you are: your integrity, your professionalism, your attitude, your honesty.
–> 3. Calling or sending a card on 6-month-old sales to bring in the diamond ring for a free cleaning and checkup
4. Setting up another appointment after the first presentation if the sale wasn’t closed (for millennials, you should send them a text even before they get in their car)
5. Sending handwritten notes to any client who has not been in for over a year. This should go out with a free battery coupon, free appraisal or some sort of service reminder
6. Mailing thank-you cards to everyone who spends money at the store (even battery clients)
7. Birthday and anniversary cards a week before the event
8. When a client leaves a repair, find out how they want to be contacted when it’s time to pick it up (text, email or phone call?)
These are exceptional ways to build traffic. Some of my accounts who follow these steps show an 18 percent increase in sales. That’s a lot, isn’t it? By clienteling after the sale, you create top-of-mind awareness.
Clienteling makes customers feel special. Consequently, they’ll brag about you to their friends. Setting appointments also allows you to spend more time with each client, which helps you to set the stage and make the presentation more private.
Most of us only concentrate on the client who is in the store, but it’s what you do after they leave that can make the biggest difference in both your sales figures and their long-term loyalty.
Shane Decker has provided sales training for more than 3,000 stores worldwide. Contact him at ( 719) 488-4077 or at ex-sell-ence.com.