What you do after the sale is just as important as what happens in your store.
Recently, I bought a Toyota Tacoma TRD Off Road. Soon after, I got a thank-you card from the salesperson, I got a note from the service manager telling me he would be my truck’s doctor, I got one from the general manager, one from the dealership owner, a follow-up reminder for free oil changes, and one for a free service inspection. When you get that kind of service after a sale, it makes you want to go in and buy another one someday.
Is that the kind of experience your clients receive?
Strong clienteling can increase each sales associate’s sales numbers by 10 to 30 percent. To be good at clienteling, you have to be consistent and patient. It’s a stamp, a piece of paper, a phone call, an email, an envelope. This is how sales associates advertise.
Here are six tips to improve clienteling in your store.
1 Everyone should receive a thank-you card two weeks after the purchase. Always remember to ask if it’s OK to send a card (this avoids potential embarrassment and problems later).
2 Call on all repairs after a week to make sure the client is happy. If there’s a problem, you say, “Mrs. Jones, I’ll come by tonight and I’ll pick up your repair; you don’t have to come in. I’ll write it up thoroughly and personally give it to our jeweler in the morning. You’ll be our first priority. I’ll personally check it to make sure it meets our standards and your standards. I’ll bring it back by tomorrow night.”
3 Send a message to every client who bought something six months ago. This is a service reminder to bring it in for a clean, polish and check. For the client, this is like changing your oil or getting your car inspected. This can also create another sale while they wait.
4 Send a letter to clients who have not been in for a year or two: “Haven’t seen you for a while. Just want to make sure you’re OK. Would like to invite you in for a cup of coffee and talk about any jewelry needs you may have.”
5 Suggest a service call for clients who have not had appraisals done on a piece of jewelry in five years or more. Diamonds have gone up, colored stones have gone up, gold and platinum prices have changed, and insurance companies love it when people get their appraisals updated every five years. Most important, it tells the client that you’re proactive and you care about them.
6 Follow up on bridal sales. Bridal clients have the lowest closing ratio the first time they come in, but they have the highest closing ratio the second time in. Always find out from the client how they want to be communicated with (text, email, phone call). The first follow-up with a millennial is often a text before they even get back to their car. It could be a photo of the ring on her hand saying something like, “I’m so glad you came in. I enjoyed waiting on you. Thought you might want this picture of the ring on your hand.”
Clienteling keeps you top-of-mind. It also results in a fair amount of referrals, which have the highest closing ratio of anyone walking in. So remember: what you do after the sale is just as important as what you do when they’re in the store.
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.
This article originally appeared in the June 2017 edition of INSTORE.