THE EXTRA MILE
November 2024
Eight Ways To Go Above And Beyond With Your Customer Follow-Up
Brandon Wright
Keeping an existing customer is much easier and less expensive than attracting a new one. Customer follow-up empowers your business to do exactly that. It’s an integral part of competing in today’s busy retail industry, especially during the holiday season.
Effective post-sale marketing strategies do more to fuel future purchases than many other marketing options. Consumers want to feel like an important part of the brand story. They want a connection to the products they choose that goes beyond the “Buy Now” button.
Southern Gates®
Jewelry
Sterling silver &
garnet poppy earrings
MSRP $129
800.845.6964
The following eight ideas for customer follow-up will help you master the process and give shoppers what they want so they grow to love your brand and all that it stands for.
1. THANK SHOPPERS FOR THEIR PURCHASE
There’s no doubt that your sales associates are always thankful for every sale that closes. But if they don’t express their gratitude to the shopper who opened their wallet, they miss out on a great relationship-building opportunity. Sending a thank you email or text message shortly after the purchase goes through is a purposeful—and personal—close to the sales process.
2. PERSONALIZED PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS
Everyone wants to feel like a VIP. By training your team to gather information about what their client looks for most often, who they shop for, and when, they’re empowered with tools to make their messaging far more personal. They can send out personalized messages that promote exactly what their client needs and wants. It’s also a great chance to share product updates or new versions of past purchases that can encourage new sales opportunities.
3. ANNOUNCE AN UPCOMING PROMO OR EVENT
Whether you’ve got a sale coming up or a holiday event, it’s a great reason to reengage with a client who hasn’t visited your store in a while. And don’t forget—the more personal, the better. Yes, you should absolutely announce a special on all emerald pieces to everyone, for example, but the results will only get better if you target shoppers with an interest in emerald products or have purchased them in the past. Always consider the value for the individual.
4. CUSTOMER FEEDBACK REQUESTS
Ask buyers to review and rate the products they purchase and their experience with your store in general. Not only will this reengage their interest, but it will also provide you with valuable feedback to make improvements. When you know your customer preferences, you can make strategic changes. Perhaps most importantly, it increases the chance of getting allimportant social proof through customer-created content.
5. OPT-IN SUGGESTIONS FOR SMS OR EMAIL MARKETING
Most consumers have their preferred mode of communication and contact: email, SMS, social media, etc. However, with the popularity of omnichannel marketing these days and the wealth of options available to retailers, it makes sense to suggest others. Make each one have a unique benefit. Text messages are quick and easy to manage. Emails to customers may include valuable articles about jewelry care, style tips, or whatever your niche involves.
6. LOYALTY PROGRAM ENGAGEMENT
If your brand has a loyalty program of any kind, customer followup messages offer the perfect opportunity to introduce them. If the buyer is already signed up, let them know the benefits they received from the most recent shopping experience. For example, if they get a discount after a certain number of purchases, let them know how close they are. You can combine this with a gentle cross or upsell to encourage additional sales. Loyal customers are a brand’s best bet for repeat sales and social proof.
7. ABANDONED CART FOLLOW-UP
Shoppers abandon items in their online shopping carts for a variety of reasons. However, a gentle nudge or reminder can sometimes be all it takes to transform distraction or indecision into a sale. Use sales follow-up emails or texts to remind them of their interest in the specific products and encourage them to complete the process. Transform potential customers into sure things. This can even be a great opportunity to ask why they didn’t complete it the first time. The more information your store has about a shopper’s thought process, the better equipped you are to make beneficial changes down the road.
Samuel B
Sterling silver &
sleeping beauty
turquoise necklace
MSRP $269
516.455.2615
Piyaro
Sterling and 18K gold bracelet
with stainless body and turquoise
MSRP $999
888.427.8886
Joryel Vera Fine Jewelry
Sterling silver ring with
gemstones
MSRP $1,125
561.508.2945
8. FOLLOW-UP CALLS
While text messages and emails often see better response rates than phone calls, the occasional follow-up call can still be an effective strategy, especially for your loyal customers who you already have an established relationship with. This is an effective follow-up method when the goal isn’t to earn more of their business, but to simply maintain a positive customer relationship. After all, customer interactions are just as important to your business as getting products off the shelves.
CONCLUSION
When you collect data every time a customer browses or buys from you, it translates into numerous opportunities to send a detailed followup, build brand reputation, and engage more sales. Clientbook’ s data collection, tracking, and analysis features gives you everything you need to make smart decisions about management and care throughout the customer journey. Future business success grows from today’s numbers and the ability to leverage them through effective marketing techniques. Customer follow-up is just one aspect of this, but it offers the power to impress that you need to profit from this holiday season.
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