Did you know that 48% of sales people never follow up on their prospects? What is even more disturbing is the fact that 80% of sales happen on the fifth to twelfth contact. So even if you have a great product, or if you are offering an exceptional service, making an actual sale is just a question of how persistent and skilled you are as a salesman.
It is all a question of having consistent and excellent customer relation management. In fact, if you are great at customer care –chances are that your sales will increase as well. Know that 89% of US consumers will stop doing business with you if they are not happy with your customer support. Furthermore, as many as 83% require some assistance when they are paying for products and services online. So if you are looking for a way to increase your sales, here are five nifty customer care hacks that will help you to skyrocket those numbers.
#1. Eliminate your FAQ section
Presumably, if you are running a business – then you are also running a website. While the FAQ section is a mandatory element of any respectable eCommerce website, let’s all be honest and admit that we all hate reading FAQ sections. From the perspective of a customer – you want to know that your business is valued, and if you have a question, you want it answered as soon as possible.
By all means, keep your FAQ section, but if you are looking to increase your sales – include a contact form and a phone number on that same page. The more attention you bring to that contact form the better. The first benefit that you will get out of this addition is – your customers will feel appreciated. The second benefit is – you will get prospects to talk to you on their own initiative, and if you can influence their purchasing decision why would you miss that opportunity?
#2. Real Time Response
The sooner you answer your customers’ inquiries the better. It is as simple as that. But gaining valuable information and feedback about your business, learning more about your customers’ behavior, and actually employing it in your marketing and sales strategy has always been a long-term process. So as you are establishing which part of your sales funnel is leaking, your prospects are pouring out. With the market liquidity that the Internet provides, real-time response has become a holy grail of trade. However, there is a nifty hack that can be of vital significance for small businesses looking to increase their sales, in this particular department no less.
Customer care mobile applications (such as Desk from Salesforce which is actually free for a one-man-team), can deliver every single inquiry, coming from every single channel that you have, in real time. So the moment a customer tries to reach you – no matter if they are trying to do this via Twitter, email, phone or your contact form – one single application and a comprehensive user interface can help you respond that very instant. By doing so, you can influence a purchasing decision, instead of letting your prospects wander around looking for the same product or service from your competitors.
#3. Monitoring Brand Mentions
If you are in it for the long run, your business should have a clearly defined unique sales proposal, a valid business model, and what is more important, you need to grow a brand. Establishing a brand is almost compulsory nowadays, but there is a good reason why businesses develop brands. For example, a brand can help you distinguish your business on the market.
Believe it or not, 80% of consumers will probably evaluate a brand that they are following via social media accounts when they are thinking about purchasing that particular product. On the other hand, there are 2.1 million negative brand mentions generated online daily. Answering negative reviews, providing actual assistance and in general – letting your customers know that you are there for them is a factor that will definitely help your sales. The more negative mentions you resolve (in a helpful and caring manner) the more sales you will get. Establish your presence and help your dissatisfied customers.
#4. Protect Your Consumers
Hackers, scammers and similar nuisances are making all of us, online consumers, a bit paranoid. Some would say that this is a natural response to a different type of trade (since we are unable to examine a product with our own eyes and hands, or engage with business representatives in person when we are looking for all sorts of services), but the reality is – we are right to be afraid. There were more than 736 million records exposed last year due to hackers’ attacks! So if you are selling goods online, know that customers will be worried about their safety. Caring about their protection is mandatory, but what is more important is to let them know that you care by emphasizing your level of protection on your website. More than 90% of online consumers are skeptic about this particular factor, so let them know their business is safe with you.
If you are going the extra mile to ensure their protection – let them know as well, as that factor can actually be extremely beneficial as a part of your sales proposal. If you are working within an industry which requires a surety bond that will guarantee the quality of your services – let your customers know that they are dealing with a credible company. In 2011, more than 25 million Americans were the victims of fraud. That’s 25 million people that will pay extra attention before they reach for their credit cards. Let them know that they can feel safe with you.
#5. Always give 110%
Nothing sells as good as individual attention and genuine care. If you have the time to commit to your customers, always do so. Not just because that sort of attitude will gain more business through referrals, but also because you want those customers to keep coming back. Did you know that 85% of your business will come from referrals if you are a small business owner? Quite a lot isn’t it? Also, did you know that almost 40% of your business will come from your returning customers? So do you feel like you can afford to lose a customer? Or can you afford to provide any type of service other than exceptional? Think again, because the way that you treat your customers will definitely make or break your business.
Images: ” Man Hand writing Customer Care with black marker on visual screen. Isolated on white. Business, technology, internet concept. / Shutterstock.com“
