Last week, we addressed eight ways to say thanks and offer service to customers. This week we’re covering more ways to say thanks as well as some tips to increase your sales, gain market share, and ensure your customers get exactly what they deserve – the best service.
1.Surprise a customer with a small gift that relates to a known hobby or special interest of theirs. For example: golf balls, a souvenir from their home state, logo-ed gear of their favorite sports team.
2.Invite your customer to accompany you to seminars, speeches, and other business functions.
3.Return all phone calls immediately.
4.Establish a follow-up schedule. Remember that last month’s “no” may be this month’s “yes.” Try to touch base with prospects regularly, but avoid being intrusive.
5.Vary your modes of contact. Phone calls, emails, packages – all will have a greater impact if they are followed with another form of contact. Show customers that you are persistent in your desire to help them.
6.Collect leads on follow-up calls to established customers. Contact repeat customers frequently to let them know they aren’t taken for granted. If you provide good service to these customers, you shouldn’t hesitate to ask for the names of business acquaintances and others in their own company who might benefit from the services you offer.
7.Make buying fun. You don’t have to sacrifice professionalism to make buying an energizing, enjoyable experience that will keep your customers coming back.
8.Make sure internal employees are well-trained in good customer service techniques. Anyone who will have contact with customers should be trained in customer service and should be as excited as you are to provide outstanding service to your customers.
9.Never sell your customer a method of moving their freight that you don’t believe they really need. Know your prospect, know their needs, and sell to those needs.
10.Most importantly, do what you promised, do it when you promised, and do it more often than your competition.
Start today – make service an integral part of your sales strategy!