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CE Retail is certainly an adventure these days. So much is beyond our control. If you want to regain some power over your fiscal destiny in 2009, improve follow-up with your clients. Read on for more about this often-overlooked step of the sale.
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 By Charles Thompson
Listen to people in our industry talk about the Steps of the Sale,
and they easily rattle off "Greet, Qualify, Present, and Close." Rarely does
anyone mention that, every bit the equal of those steps, is follow-up. Quick and
sustained follow-up is key to making clients comfortable with purchases, eliminating
annoyances before they turn into blowups, and creating new sales and referral
opportunities.
When I think about my household's service providers, sometimes it seems
as if everyone "gets" follow-up except CE retailers...
My dentist follows up.
The car dealership follows up.
Office Depot follows up.
Microsoft Tech Support follows up.
Buy a new HDTV, however, and you're likely on your own, as CE retailers
are quite possibly the worst follow-uppers of all. While it's nice that
Office Depot wants to know how that new desk is working out, what
people really need help with is stuff like HDTVs. If you're looking for that
extra shot of revenue to get you over the hump in 2009, look no further than timely,
systematic follow-up. Follow up first by phone, within 24 hours of the initial contact, the sale, or
the installation. For delivery immediately after that, create a nice follow-up postcard or letter, and sign it by hand. Follow up when you introduce a new service,
such as electronics recycling. Follow up when one of the components you sold
gets a functionality upgrade (see article at right); teach the customer how to
install and use the upgraded features.
Notice that none of these follow-up
suggestions advise you to sell...instead, follow up with services, troubleshooting,
tech news, and upgrades, and sales will automatically...follow. The more you follow up, the
more buying opportunities you and the client will discover.
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My favorite recent follow-up experience comes from online retailer Sweetwater Music Instruments & Pro Audio.
I needed speaker bases to isolate my theater's Quad mini-towers, and
price/selection led me to Sweetwater. Minutes after my purchase, a
gentleman named Brock Glidwell
called to ensure that the product I purchased was the best product for
my system. He told me the day the bases would arrive, and gave me his
direct line and email address. He then followed up again via email.
One
day after the bases arrived, Brock again called, this time to check on
the installation, the sound, and how I was enjoying the product.
Amazing...but still not finished. Three days later, I received a letter
from Sweetwater CEO Chuck Surack.
Chuck thanked me again, reintroduced Brock as my Personal Sales
Manager, and reminded me of Sweetwater's free tech support, making sure
to include their direct line. The CEO also provided his own email
address.
I probably don't need to mention (but I will) that
Sweetwater will now be my only destination for any product I can dream
up to buy from them. I should also mention the price of the product I
purchased, the catalyst for this uncommon and much-appreciated barrage
of service...
...The price of the speaker bases was $40.97. |
By Pat Weber
A television commercial a couple of years ago
plays on a man's craving for Dorito's chips. He goes back and forth
between his apartment and a neighbor's who happens to have a bag of
Doritos. He uses one lame excuse after another to get the
resident to open the apartment door so he can grab a chip each.
Finally, in a last follow-up he grabs the entire bag.
In sales,
whether short or long term, follow-up is critical for results. The
preferred follow-up to a customer is the type that we call a "valid
business reason." Without a reason, the process is as lame as the chip
grabber. Whether your marketing is face-to-face or on the Internet,
your follow-up can influence your customer to buy or not to buy. Here
are some ideas you want to consider for increased sales results.
A
thank you note. It's professional courtesy as well as a gesture of
caring. If appropriate to your context, handwritten is best. If email,
at least personalize it with the client's name. This is particularly
important today with email, which Tom Peters once called "high-tech and low-touch."
Discover their interests. With your needs assessment and
rapport-building, it's likely you have found a personal interest or
hobby. You can send an article or refer to a book that relates to this
area. If you promised to send any literature, send it. The more
timely, the better the impression of your reliability. You go one step
up in trust-building.
Maybe you have a new product or
service. Think of how to position this to your
customer, and then give them the information about it.
Mix your
follow-up methods. Use telephone, mail, email.
And remember at some point simply to call to confirm you're
still in consideration. While you do not want this to be your sole
reason for follow-up, at some point if the customer has not made a
decision, you want to be able to readjust your contact schedule. Or,
maybe even save yourself the mental hook to them and move them to a
longer lead time.
If you want to stand out in the crowd, put these ideas into action. You'll make your customer feel
appreciated and you'll keep them coming back once they do buy. Offer
your customer good information or a timely idea and you'll demonstrate
that you have their interest at the heart of your work. Leave the chips
behind. Follow up with a reason to reassure your customer and get more
sales. |
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We live in by far the best time for Consumer Electronics, as the
functionality of many products improves constantly, via free firmware or
software updates. It's not only a great time for consumers, but also for
retailers, as you now get a wonderful follow-up opportunity to teach clients how
to install and use the new enhancements. You can "touch" the client outside of
the traditional sales call, further securing your position as their go-to
electronic entertainment provider. Some of the best gifts that keep on giving
are:
 Sony PlayStation 3. Already a killer game console and Blu-ray player
out of the box, the PS3's continuous updates include: -
Improved gaming
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An incredible new Photo Gallery with slide show
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Reduced standby power to less than 2 watts
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Enhanced Web browser with Flash
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Improved PlayStation store
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HD movie streaming
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Free wallpapers and themes
The new Photo Gallery's installation details won't be apparent to the
average user. Nor will the method of getting photos into the PS3. That's where
you come in. You can be a client's hero with a made-to-order follow-up
opportunity.
 Sonos ZonePlayer system. Free upgrades include:-
The ability to play Rhapsody music
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Free Pandora music
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Free Internet radio
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Satellite radio
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Enhancements to the desktop software
 Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. Via the Application Store, the
functionality of these devices escalates by the hour. Users can
choose from thousands of free and paid apps to personalize their device, truly
putting the "i" in iPhone and iPod. One great app turns the device into a
remote control for the Sonos system. Its beautiful interface even rivals Sonos'
own legendary controller, and presents another great follow-up opportunity for
retailers...and what's better than a free extra remote? Some other favorites: -
Google Maps
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Pandora music
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Sportacular (streaming sports updates)
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Air Sharing (document
management) -
Dial Zero (direct phone numbers to top corporations)
While these enhancements may be free to consumers, many also give
you a reason to follow up. So, here's a homework assignment: Identify every
component you sell that upgrades itself, and create a follow-up system for their owners. When you follow up bearing this kind of great news, your clients will always be delighted to take your call.
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