The One Marketing Opportunity Everyone Is Missing

15 Ways To Generate Sales From The People Who Know You Best

Most businesses zealously rush to test every new marketing tactic touted to attract new prospects, maintain and grow their customer base.

Customer acquisition is expensive since you must invest in marketing including advertising to find, reach and convert prospects.

If you’re like most marketers you’re making 1 MAJOR MISTAKE.

Being so focused on getting fresh prospects you’re missing the opportunity to generate sales from the people who know you best! Some marketers call this retention marketing (although it’s not as sexy a term.)

It enables you to increase the lifetime value of your current customers.

3 Reasons to generate sales from the people who know you best

Increasing revenues from existing buyers are significantly less expensive for the following 3 reasons.

1. Possess your customers’ contact information. You know who your customers are and have at least one way to get in touch with them.
2. Know your customers’ purchase history. You have insights into their buying behavior since you have a record of the products they’ve bought to-date and their purchase frequency. This provides further insights into your customers’ needs. (This is a key input for your persona.)
3. Enjoy a brand relationship with your customers. They know what to expect from your brand. You don’t need to invest in educating them again.

 

15 Ways to generate sales from the people who know you best

There’s a reason the companies offer “friends and family discounts.” Your customers want to feel that you’re treating them like someone special based on their past purchasing. 

• Upsell customers when you close the deal.

Encourage your prospect to buy more at the same time. You can save them money on shipping.

1. Present them with related products to buy. Offers can include other colors of the product or products that work with their purchase.
2. Give them a discount for buying more of the same product. Let them stock up.
3. Test your offers and the timing. Try different options of when you present related offers as well as the types of offers you make.

• Extend the marketing power of your shipment.

Don’t overlook the selling potential inside the box.

4. Insert a call-to-action to give recipients a related offer. Bills and invoices are among the most read information you send your customers. If you’re sending the buyer an email, there’s a good chance that it’ll go to their main email address and won’t get lost in their spam folder.
5. Include related promotions in the shipping box. Use package inserts and catalogs to entice recipients to purchase more. Remember the ultimate user may not be the purchaser.
6. Use your packaging to build your brand (and possibly sell). Incorporate your branding on your shipping materials. Test making offers on the box or envelope. When I was at Bertelsmann, we put offers on our envelopes and tracked our response.

• Send customers a thank you after they’ve received your product.

Doing so provides you with an opportunity to continue to build your relationship.

7. Provide easy return options (where appropriate). Companies like Zappos have taught customers to expect to be able to send back merchandise that doesn’t live up to expectations in terms of fit or look. Of course, make sure you ask for the reason for the return.
8. Invite customer questions. Make it easy for customers to get help using your product. It’s cheaper (and better business practice) to satisfy customer service challenges than it is to process a return or worse to cause negative word of mouth.
9. Ask for ratings and reviews. While some retailers squirm at the idea, customers will give their feedback if your product is great or terrible. It’s better to be able to deal with it directly. If you’ve got a product problem handle it before it gets bigger and more expensive.
10. Add a tailored offer to your thank you. Since you know what your customer bought you can make them a more informed offer.

• Create special post-purchase content.

The objective is to continue to provide quality content and to build your relationship with your customers. This content should not be a sales vehicle. The objective is to teach your customers to use your products better by featuring them in your content.

11. Develop an email series for major product lines. Show your customers how to better use your products. Instead of an outright sales message, show your product and link to your sales page.
12. Encourage customers to share photos wearing or using your product. Create a memorable hashtag and highlight the best images on your social media, website and offline content. Don’t forget to ask for permission to use the images! Customers like to see what others are doing with your product.

• Make customers an offer they can’t refuse.

Customers want you to treat them special. Remember this doesn’t have to mean discounts.

13. Contact them based on their purchases and usage patterns. Use datamining to determine when they’re about to need more of your product. This is a good approach for products that need replenishing.
14. Craft special offers. Think beyond the discount. Create a limited edition that’s only available to your customers or offer special hours for your best customers.
15. Put your customers in the limelight. Ask your customers to share how they use your products. Co-create content with them. It’s a win-win. They get their name in lights and you get to show read people using your product.

The bottom line:

Selling more to your existing customers is less expensive and faster. You’re able to promote your audience directly without needing to sell them on your brand.

To generate sales from the people who know you the best examine every post-purchase touch point for opportunities to sell them more products.

Don’t overlook the potential to get them to help you sell others. This sways other prospects to buy from you.

What other suggestions do you have to get more sales from the people who know you the best?

Happy Marketing,
Heidi Cohen

---

 

 

Related Articles

• 2 Things Every Marketer Must Do

Photo Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/29106784@N02/3775830271