The most important thing happens after the purchase is finalized.
One of the great myths of the business world, which is also the origin of the costliest of mistakes made by companies and businesses of all sizes in all industries, is that of believe that the process ends when the sale is closed. The truth, however, is that precisely at that point where the most important part begins.
You know which one is? The loyalty of your client. Yes, that phase of the process through which you strengthen the established bond, give him more than what you had promised him and, consequently, fall in love. The result is that every time that person thinks of the product or service that you offer, your name, that of your company, he will be the first to come to mind.
And he will buy from you again and again, and again. In addition, an invaluable plus: he will refer you to his friends, to his family, to his co-workers. Namely, That satisfied customer will become the best ambassador of your brand and, best of all, you won't have to pay them to do this task! He will do it of his own free will, in gratitude for what you gave him.
The world of sales and business, it should not be a secret for anyone, has changed radically in the last quarter of a century. Since when, at the end of the 90s, the internet burst into our lives and changed it substantially. It forced us to unlearn and detach ourselves from habits and devices with which we had always lived and replace them with new ones.
This process, which was called the digital revolutioncaused a profound transformation of the market. The best, you know what was the best? That literally opened up a universe of possibilities, of opportunities. Competition has grown to the benefit of consumers, who now have options to choose from, and price and quality are no longer the determining factors.
Today, you perform a variety of tasks over the internet that not so long ago, in the early 90s, were a privilege of science fiction movies. For example? Having a cell phone that allows us to call at any time from anywhere. Make bank movements, without having to go to the bank or buy lunch at home or even the market.
In the past, in the last century, everyone in the family went to the same dentist, the same hairdresser, the same men's clothing store or the same school. They were legacies that were passed down from generation to generation. To the owners or dependents, in addition, we treated them like old friends, very close to the family, and we did not betray them for anything.
Today, in the XNUMXst century, hardly anyone marries brands anymore, customer loyalty is an endangered species and what matters most, for the buyer, is the user experience that is given to you. The price? It matters, of course, but it is not decisive. The quality? It's taken for granted, so it's no longer a differential. The competition? It abounds and there is very good.
For this reason, precisely for this reason, the after-sales process is so important. If your company or business is not able to give your customer more than just the product or service they purchased, it will disappear.. Yes, he will vanish because he will understand, he will assume, that the only thing that interested you was his money. And since you already have it, you know that you will only look for it when you want to sell again.
They are relationships, not transactions
The key to success in business today lies in your ability to establish long-term relationships with each and every one of your clients. And not only with them: also, and in a very special way, with the other agents that are part of the process, such as suppliers, logistics operators (including transport), strategic partners, affiliates or even the competition.
Relationships that are based on two fundamental pillars that, of course, cannot be missing: trust and credibility. The relationship can only be established, strengthened and maintained over time if these two qualities exist, which are the support on which the exchange of benefits will be built. Then, when the purchase has been made, what comes next is the loyalty process.
Let's see an example: one day, any given day, you ask your partner to marry you. Convinced that she loves you and sure that you reciprocate, she tells you that she does. "I agree!"she shouts excitedly. La transaction is consumed in front of the altar, in the presence of God, but it is from there that the truly valuable begins And, surely you know if you are married, the most difficult thing.
Coexistence and, above all, that art of falling in love every day with that person you chose to spend the rest of your life with. A long road in which, of course, there will be difficulties, disagreements, fights or mistakes, so you will have to make the best of your efforts not to lose it.. You will have to conquer it every day with new details.
How can you inspire love to your customer in the after-sales process?
1.- Always give him more than he expects.
Human beings, all of us, appreciate when we receive more than we expect. Álvaro Mendoza, a benchmark for digital marketing in the Hispanic market, says: “If you offer him one, give him 10; if you offer him 10, give him 100; if you offer him 100, give him 1.000”. They are small details that are highly valued and that leave a mark: little by little, you will make them surrender at your feet.
2.- Details that make you fall in love (I).
For example, a friendly welcome email to your community or a 10% discount voucher for the next purchase they make. The important thing about these actions is that they are NOT focused on selling you, but on make him fall in love, in making him feel good, valued. And, of course, that the strategy is coherent, that they are not isolated actions that are carried away by the wind.
3.- Details that fall in love (II).
Don't forget special dates, like Valentine's Day, Mother's (or Father's) Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. A small obituary, with an inspiring message, is an excellent gift that we all love. You can take advantage of the power of stories to teach them about those celebrations, their origin, their evolution, its sense.
4.- Nourish it, educate it and entertain it.
A frequent mistake of most companies is to focus their message exclusively on what they publish on social networks, which is otherwise focused on selling. They do not take advantage of other powerful resources such as email marketing or the blog to share free and valuable content. Stories, success stories, frequent errors and more. The key: quality and free.
5.- Take care of the interactions (I).
“Good customers are lost due to poor service”says Colombian David Gómez, author of the books good, nice and cute, Details love y Yellow, among others (by the way, I recommend them: they are excellent). Do not wait for the opportunity to sell him again to talk with him: attend to his concerns, answer his questionsrewards your loyalty.
6.- Take care of the interactions (II).
Honor your word and keep your promises, especially in relation to guarantees and money back, when applicable. Failing to do so is like planting dynamite tied to the pilings of your business: it will explode and bring it down. A satisfied customer brings more good customers., but a dissatisfied customer can do a lot of damage to your company. Do not let that happen!
7.- We are human beings.
In the past, in the last century, the sales process ended when the transaction was consummated. Today, on the other hand, is when the most important thing begins. Use the powerful tools that technology gives us, but do not forget that it is a relationship between human beings. Do not dehumanize the relationship, because that is a path that will lead you to the abyss.
Moraleja
The reason for the work we do in IOCA Group they are our customers. That's why, We have trained and prepared to serve you just when you need us most. We have a personalized after-sales service via video call with trained consultants to provide you with effective and fast solutions! We know that your time is worth gold, and we take care of it.
Some of the actions we carry out for you are to supervise, streamline and optimize the purchasing processes so that the products are in your hands, and above all available to your customers, as soon as possible. What we do lacks value and meaning if it does not result in benefits and well-being for our clients: that's why we always give you more!
