Mastering Post-Sale Customer Engagement for Business Growth

Mastering Post-Sale Customer Engagement

Achieving Repeat Sales

Repeat sales are earned by consistently demonstrating the ability to add value in diverse ways.

Responding to Post-Sale Customer Expectations

• Ensure your customer strategy is on target.
• Focus on diligent follow-through and follow-up activities.
• Regularly reexamine your product strategy.

Understanding Customer Attrition

Regaining a lost customer can be four to five times more expensive than retaining a current, satisfied customer.

Main Causes of Customer Attrition:

• Poor service
• Product dissatisfaction
• Price considerations

Key B2B Service Behaviors

1. Diligence: Persistence in service delivery.
2. Information Communication: Transparent and timely sharing of relevant updates.
3. Inducements: Offering incentives to encourage desired client actions.
4. Empathy: Understanding and responding to client needs.
5. Sportsmanship: Maintaining professionalism and integrity in all interactions.

Customer Service Methods for Stronger Partnerships

High-performance salespeople leverage value-added strategies to service the sale, fostering repeat business and referrals. Key methods include:

• Follow through on promises.
• Follow up to ensure customer satisfaction.
• Employ expansion selling techniques.

Key Customer Moments and Outcomes

Possible outcomes when a customer interacts with an organization:

• The Moment of Truth: If Expectations = Experience → Customer satisfied.
• The Moment of Misery: If Expectations > Experience → Customer dissatisfied.
• The Moment of Magic: If Expectations < Experience → Customer very satisfied (delighted).

Post-Sales Services for Successive Sales

• Make credit arrangements.
• Schedule deliveries efficiently.
• Be present during delivery.
• Monitor installation processes.
• Offer training on product usage and care.
• Provide timely price change information.

Customer Follow-Up: Key Objectives

Customer follow-up serves two main objectives:

1. Express appreciation for the purchase.
2. Determine if the customer is satisfied with the purchase.

Effective follow-up strengthens relationships and builds partnerships, leading to additional sales. Conversely, poor service or a lack of follow-ups can cause customers to stop buying.

Forms of Expansion Selling

• Full-line Selling (Suggestion Selling): Selling related products.
• Cross-selling: Selling non-related products.
• Upselling: Selling higher-quality products.

Addressing Unhappy Customers Effectively

• Give customers every opportunity to disclose their feelings.
• Acknowledge that the complaint's validity (real or perceived) does not diminish its importance.
• Avoid making excuses or "alibiing."
• Politely share your point of view regarding the problem’s cause.
• Decide and implement the necessary action to remedy the problem.