Your Post-Sale Strategy: Gaining Leads From Your Customers

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For many businesses, getting a sale is always the great goal, but the work doesn’t necessarily end once the customer signs the contract. Sales experts refer to this stage as the honeymoon phase, an appropriate term of endearment. This is the time when you and your customer have formally entered into a union, but is also the period when the two of you will get to find out interesting things about each another.

This is the perfect chance to further strengthen the relationship, by coming up with an effective after-sales strategy which can be composed of five elements.

1. Thank You card. An email saying “thank you” should be good enough, but sending a card carries a more personal touch. With a card, you can add a few special notes like assuring your new partner that you’re just a call away if he has questions.

2. Call. Some people are not inclined to picking up the phone and making a call. Take the initiative and call customers a week or two after closing sales with them. They may just have a few questions in mind that need clarification. If not, checking up on them to make sure they’re fine is always a good after-sales strategy.

3. Giveaways. When getting in touch with a new client, always ask if it’s okay that to call him regularly. If he agrees, prepare a few free items that he will find interesting, like phones, magazines, and many others.

4. A Second Sale. This need not be done right away, because you will have to work first on gaining the trust of your customer and discovering his other interests. Once you succeed in this, you can begin looking at the prospects of offering a few complimentary products.

5. Referral. With his trust gained and his satisfaction met, asking for a referral from your client should be easy. Actually, this last element will come naturally without you having to do anything. A contented customer will gladly share his experience with friends and family, and do you the favor of a recommendation for your business. This is the best and most important part of your post-sale plan—to go full circle and offer your service again to a new prospective client.

Your sales strategy should be self-contained and sustained, and investing in after-sales skips you the steps of doing the legwork to find new prospects. If you’re interested enough to consider building a team of customer service specialists, you’ll find it more cost-effective with staff leasing service, instead of hiring personnel in-house. You get the convenience of dedicated service without shouldering as much in overhead costs.

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Dear Small Business Owner: You Also Need Staff Leasing Service

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With the competitive nature of today’s industries, start-up companies find it more difficult to carve their niche in the field; competition is fierce and markets are saturated. There are also fewer opportunities, compared to big time corporations who have the lion’s share of the prospects. It’s fortunate small business owners have a leg up with outsourced help, yours could use staff leasing service, for so many reasons:

Reduced Cost

In partnership with Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs), businesses have the luxury of hiring dedicated workforce at a lesser cost. This is because the whole operation is being managed by the PEO. From recruitment to management, PEOs take on the role of overseeing the entire operation, which includes attending to all necessary transactions: taking care of taxes, insurance, benefits, and all other matters concerning the leased employees. In addition, PEOs takes care the workplace and equipment required for the job, leaving the company free of any additional expenses. This alternative is cost-efficient compared to hiring an in-house team.

Less Paperwork

As providers, PEO are also responsible for administrative and HR services. This is preferable for new companies, start-ups who don’t have the resources to hire their own HR personnel. By partnering with PEOs, business owners are also spared from additional paperwork; administrative tasks can also be entrusted to PEOs’ leased staff.

Reduced Employee & Legal Liability

PEO can essentially conduct all required arrangements between employees; consequently, companies face fewer liabilities, in terms of legal and employee issues. This is because transactions are only conducted with the PEO. Since all paperwork is left under the care of the PEO, small businesses don’t need to deal with such matters directly. The work is all on the PEO.

Fewer Expenses Translates to Increased Revenue

Many PEOs offer all-in solutions to business needs. The workplace, equipment, operation management, and the administrative and HR support all come with the package, so small businesses are able to skip many company expenses. Earning more while spending less is heaven for entrepreneurs.

Staff leasing service offers you opportunities to cut costs, without sacrificing the quality of your operations. If you’re looking for cost-efficient ways to streamline your business, consider leasing your staff instead of hiring in-house; you’ll have more money to spend on other essentials.

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Do You Want to Grow Your Clientele? Work on Your Retention Rate

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The primary objective of a business is to attract customers, with goal of covincing them to buy products or services. However, many entrepreneurs are unaware the true success of a company is measured through its ability to retain its clientele – something as important as gaining new customers. Business owners should understand the fact that maintaining existing customers contributes more to the success of the company; acquiring new clients cost more than keeping existing ones. Unlike a business that has a large base of clientele, companies with low customer retention rate tend to struggle in developing and growing their markets.

Research has proven the significance of customer retention in the success of a business, and these studies have determined the cause-and-effect factors involving the tendencies of a company to lose or retain existing customers. While some of the data in these research may slightly differ from each other, the prevailing results show that the customer retention rate of a certain business depends wholly on the way business owners handle their services/products and their customers.

To give you some insights on how to properly manage your business, here are some academically approved tips on how to boost up your company’s customer retention rate.

Clear Communication, Effective Brand Positioning

Building a strong relationship with your clients doesn’t happen overnight – it takes the same effort as building personal relationships. It also requires acute strategies to make it happen. Creating a real and friendly connection is a great way to start if you’re aiming for loyal customers. Research says that clients most often stay in a certain brand if the company share the same goals and values. If you want people to truly understand your brand, you have to establish a clear message that will convey your purpose.
Another way to get consumers to trust your business is by having a positive social proof. According to studies, good social proofs such as testimonials are the most effective way of getting people to know your business. Use different platforms of communication to connect with your clients. Social media is today’s most convenient mode of contact, utilize it to constantly inform people about your business.

Customer Identification and Education

Studies show that the only way to truly get to your target market is to know their needs and to understand the way they think. Start by identifying your customers –their goals, aspirations, likes, and dislikes. Once you’ve established a clear perception of these, it is easier to formulate a marketing tactic that will attract their curiosity and attention. The important thing to remember here is that people should be able to relate to your message, so they’re encouraged to continue patronage of your business. Know the things that your customers love to hear, and use these to your advantage when presenting your products or services. This way, they will be willing to purchase in a constant manner.

Consumers appreciate it when you communicate with them directly, for it makes them feel important. Talking to them and informing them of your latest features and offers also add up to the good image of your business. As proven by research, customers love being informed about new products that would benefit and suit their needs and preferences. Providing helpful tips is also a great way to keep existing clients to visit and avail of your services.

Exceptional Customer Service

One of most effective ways to keep loyal customers is by providing exceptional customer service. Clients tend to continue patronage on businesses that cater good service and product quality. Being polite and responsible are some of the characteristics that people often look for in a service staff. If they feel they’re being attended to accordingly and willingly, there’s increased the chance that they’ll keep coming back. As much as possible, avoid incidents that would make your clients dissatisfied; solve problems as soon as possible, always make it a point to apologize for any inconvenience, make it up to the customer if you have to.

Customers are the most important element in a business. The growth of a company depends wholly on them, thus, it is crucial that business owners meet their standards and satisfaction. Being able to retain clients is a sign of success in the company’s part, and gaining a high customer retention rate lies upon the hands of the business owners -how they manage their services, how they treat their customers, and most importantly, how they maintain a good image.

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Boost Sales through Product/Service Promotion

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Promotion is a crucial aspect of business, especially for small and newbie companies. Compared to giant corporations, small-scale businesses struggle more when it comes to promoting their brand. Competition is tight, and the way consumers think about purchasing products has changed – they’re more cautious and meticulous in terms of deciding which product/service is worth it and which is not.

While it is true business works in cutthroat ways, small and new businesses, however, still get the chance to attract customers and gain profit through marketing. Product and service promotion is one of the most effective ways to raise awareness and popularity of a business, which eventually results to the increase in actual sales.

Your Business, Your Brand

This process, however, is just as hard as putting up a business in the first place. Business owners can engage in various marketing campaigns, but this does not always guarantee success. What many don’t realize is that there’s more to an effective promotion than just spreading words about a company’s brand. If you want for your business to be really successful, you don’t just have to put your name in the spotlight, you have got to make it stick.

Promotion through Word-of-Mouth, on Social Media

Just like in communication, there are so many ways you can promote your business, and with unlimited access to technology, promoting your product is just as easy as clicking a button. Using social media to promote your business is probably the easiest and the cheapest way to attract people’s attention. Since everyone browses the world wide web everyday, creating accounts and pages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and many other types of social sites would definitely reach a big portion of your target market.

Conventional Media

Advertising has grown into a giant industry, and it’s crucial in the business world. Considered as the most dominant mode of marketing, advertisements will be helpful in raising your company’s popularity, for it uses different forms of media (print and electronic). Advertisements allow your campaign to reach the specific audience, your target market. Television commercials, newspaper ads, and radio promotions can reach a wide range of audiences, in different age brackets. Utilizing these media can very much generate publicity in no time.

Outreach and Engagement Campaigns

Other types of marketing strategies such as telemarketing/telesales, networking, charity events, gift promos, and community programs are constantly being used by various companies. Tactics like run-for-a-cause marathons and social-welfare-themed programs can help build up a good image for your business. Because people love engaging in these events, companies often get the highest attention from existing and new customers, resulting to an increased sales and brand popularity.

All these strategies are proven to generate success when done correctly. It’s not enough that you just execute the campaigns; in order to truly reach your target consumers, you must be able to establish a clear connection with them. Conducting surveys through phone calls, social media, or emails will help you better understand your consumers. This strategy allows you to gather information that would be useful both for marketing purposes and in developing new features or services that would suit the needs of the customers.

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Three Things Successful Entrepreneurs Never Do

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When was the last time you learned a lesson the hard way? You fumbled in negotiations, costing you that contract. Do you have pangs of regret remembering that business deal snagged by your competition?Should have considered outsourcing projects instead of in-house operations, to cut costs?

You’re in good company if you ever made a costly misstep, it comes with the territory. If it’s any comfort, the most successful businesses are constantly roadblocked by pitfalls. It’s fortunate the stories are well-documented; for your business sake, skip the mistakes and apply costly lessons others learned.

This isn’t your usual to-do list, though. Consider these points as precautions in running your business:

1. Don’t Forget Why You’re in Business

It’s easy to get sidetracked when you’re in the thick of a thriving business. Some forget why they started their businesses in the first place. The reasons may vary, but it’s often to fill a need; it could be personal, financial. Is there a niche on the market few businesses are catering? Did you intend to break new ground in the industry?

The “why” of your business will tide you through times when the “how” doesn’t make sense. If you built your business so you can spend more time with family, keep this in mind once there’s too much on paperwork your plate. Successful entrepreneurs are fully aware of priorities, and they’re willing to drop everything for the sake of what’s truly important.

2. Don’t Enter Partnerships in a Rush

This is tricky dilemma, especially if the prospects are too appealing to pass on. When you’ve done all the legwork, consider trusting your intuition. It’s great if you’ve started this business with friends and long-time acquaintances, and now everything’s as strong as ever. However, some partnerships fall flat because of mismatched expectations. It’s best if you thoroughly consider future business partners, ensure they’ll complement your team.

Opposites do attract, and it’s good business sense to on-board someone with skills and approach opposite to yours. This creates conflict, but it also keeps you from being complacent. You can bounce and filter ideas off each other, in effort to glean best solutions.

3. Don’t Stay on the Plateau, Keep Evolving

All progress occurs outside the comfort zone. You’ll reach plateaus in productivity, in revenue; there’s trickle of new clientele. These should push you to be proactive, take measures and get out of that rut. You only need to consider the humble beginnings of the most successful companies. Google and Apple started as garage businesses; imagine if these plateaued after eperiencing moderate success?

Successful companies keep evolving, for better or for worse. If outsourcing projects is the hard decision you have to make, consider the trade-off in cost and efficiency. There’s always risk of loss in business, but there’s also potential for gain. You can’t know what’s waiting for you at the corner if you don’t turn the bend.

You’ll make mistakes on your own, some can be costly. But, learning from other people’s mistake gives you the advantage. You don’t have to go down the well-tread path of mishaps. If ever you stumble into obstacles few have hurdled, you’ll at least have acquired wisdom of others, enough to tackle problems head-on.

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Maximizing Customer Retention: Handling Complaints

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Businesses have goals to achieve, principles to observe, sales strategies to follow. Regardless of the nature of your business, it’s execution and strategies, there’s only one end point you’ll answer to –the receiver of the service –the customers. It is every company’s priority to deliver in accordance with the needs of consumers, always taking into consideration the importance of customer satisfaction in securing clientele.

However, it is no secret that dealing with different types of customers can sometimes (or always) be tricky; many consider BPO outsourcing the feasible solution, hiring personal trained for the task. No matter how careful and strict a company may be in running their business, complaints are unavoidable. The smallest or the most prominent business names aren’t spared from backlash. The complaint can be serious or trivial, but in order to keep a good relationship with clients, companies must deal with these problems as best as they can.

Handling complaints can be trying and time-consuming, and it’s also crucial for business owners to take immediate action in solving the problem – customers must be satisfied, and the company in good standing. While there’s no official manual on dealing with unhappy clients, following these steps may efficiently resolve the issue.

Identify What the Complaint Is All about

Knowing the nature of the complaint gives you insight on what went wrong with the service/s provided. Ask questions that would help you better understand the situation; you’ll know how to proceed in resolving the problem. It’s important you avoid arguments; be professional and polite in effort to work out amenable solution. Assure complainants they’ll receive proper compensation for the problem – sincerity always calms angry customers.

Propose Win-Win, Reasonable Solutions

After you hear out the customer’s side on the complaint, the appropriate action would be to offer a rational solution appealing to the client. Inquire about preferred resolution to the issue, evaluate and implement. Immediate resolution reflects a good image on the company, hopefully leaving no trace of the unfortunate incident. Ultimately, you should win back the trust and loyalty of your clients.

Complaints are smears on your company’s reputation, there is no getting away from it – entrepreneurs are fully aware of the consequences. Resolve issues for two reasons – to keep customers from switching to another brand, and to maintain good reputation. Complaints are often directed to customer service/support, so it it essential your support staff is qualified and trained for the task; this requires patience and empathy.

Clients want to feel that their concerns are valued, so it is wise to hire support who are rational and decisive. Customer support is one of the most important factors in a business, they’re front-liners to complaint management. Investing on a capable team through BPO outsourcing pays off, with a solid and growing customer base.

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Website Navigation 101

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In a day and age when information can be easily accessed via the Internet, and websites offer more and more pages of data to sift through, there is a demand for proper navigation to quickly get the readers, the end-users, where they want to go. And while it stands true that designing the website to make it visually appealing is a priority, one thing business owners and web developers/designers should keep in mind is making it easy for their readers, their audience, to find what they’re looking for once they load the website. Otherwise, what is the point of putting up information that can’t be seen or accessed?

Website Navigation, in a Nutshell

But let’s backtrack; what is website navigation anyway? And why is it a crucial presence in a website? Website navigation is simply the system where the links/pages of content can be found. Think of it as the backbone of the website, an online version of the table of contents, or a roadmap of points of interests. Without it, readers would feel lost, not knowing where to go next or how to access the information that they’re searching for. And if they get confused or frustrated, site traffic and rankings in search engines will drop.

Various Preferences, Custom Solutions

So how can business owners better serve their readers (aside from a carefully designed and organized web navigation)? By outsourcing services, providing support for web navigational assistance. Business owners should bear in mind that different people have different ways of searching for information — they have their own habits and factors that make up their navigating processes — and might encounter difficulties when browsing the website.

Support Staff Makes It Feasible

With a dedicated support staff available, readers can be guided to solve the problem encountered; reliable techs who know all there is to know about the structure and content of the website are the persons readers can turn to for troubleshooting the features or services that the website offers. The end-goal is to help readers retrieve the information or product they are looking for, and provide a smooth browsing experience that will, in turn, boost sales.

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Why Bother With Post-Sales Follow Up?

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While continuously finding and acquiring new customers is great for business, maintaining good relationship with current customers is also crucial, ensuring repeat business and loyal customers.

Acquire New Customers, Keep Them Close

A new customer entails going through the process of introducing the business, its product and services, gaining their trust, and of course, convincing them to actually spend their hard-earned money. A repeat customer however, is already familiar with the business, knows what it offers, and has faith in the brand because they’ve already tried it for themselves. That’s why it’s important to have a good relationship with present customers, a stable base who can generate new referrals, bring in potential clients.

Post-ales follow up is vital in keeping and maintaining business-client relationships. It makes clients feel the business’s commitment to customer service and satisfaction, build rapport, and open doors for expansion.

It’s All Worth the Effort

Maintaining your customer base seems like a lot of work, but if it’s worthwhile if you consider the return on investment. Post-sales follow up is the company’s way of showing its sincerity to the customers that it cares. It’s as simple as sending them a thank you note after a purchase, calling to ask about their experience with the product or service, or taking it up a notch by offering warranties, repairs, updates on related products that they may want, and offering discounts and incentives for referrals. These build up the company’s presence to its customer base, eventually to its market. It always pays to build a stronger relationship with existing customers.

Post-sales follow up is a way for the company to ensure customer satisfaction. And with the feedback given by their clients, they’ll be able to find new ways to improve their business. In doing so, not only will they be able to cater to their existing market better, but also their target market as a whole. The little things add up, and that’s what post-sales follow up is all about.

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Developing Your Business: Conducting Market Research in the Virtual World

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Market research is a default tool used by entrepreneurs in gathering information: current market trends, purchasing history of consumers, public and private records, and more. The data is used by corporations to stay updated in the current business wave. It also enables them to assess whether their products/services still appeal to their target market, or if they need to establish a new marketing strategy for their brand. While this approach sounds like a lot of work, companies have found a faster and more accurate method to generate feedback and results, thanks to developments in technology.

Since the advent of the internet, communication is as second nature as blinking. And with all the social networking sites surfacing and dominating online, researches and surveys can now be done with just a few clicks. The internet is this generation’s best technology, and everyone (especially entrepreneurs) are happy about it. Businesses experience convenience not only in connecting with their clients, but also in promoting brands. And with the increasing popularity of social media among millennials, it has become easier for business owners to collect data and feedback from their markets.

To further enhance your company’s market research strategy, here are some useful tips on how to generate consumer information using the internet.

Social Media

It is no secret almost everyone have various social media accounts. It is the current trend, and every human being with a smart phone and internet connection (which are both globally accessible) is hooked to it. As a corporation aiming to position your brand in the public market’s interest, utilizing social media for your company’s benefit is a smart move. Conducting polls and surveys in different platforms like Facebook, Twitter and other sites can save you both money and time, as it’s free to create social media accounts and feedback generation is done in real time.

Emails & E-newsletters

Another market research method that can be done through internet is sending newsletters and surveys via email -a good way to gather information and opinions from existing customers. Engaging in an email-based interaction with clients also helps establish a personal connection; this is to your advantage, because having a healthy customer relationship increases the rate of customer retention and potentially advances sales generation.

Online Posts & Articles

Reading market-related articles posted online is also helpful in analyzing gathered data. Collecting insights from published studies can give you a head-start in concluding what would be the best step for your company. Articles written by private and government agencies are usually the most reliable sources, citing statistics essential for your own research. Also, studying what potential consumers write or comment about certain products/services gives you insight on your next product release or marketing campaign.

While almost everything can be easily found in the internet, you still have to verify information before you utilize it. Sites delivering false information has bombarded the virtual world, so it is imperative to be careful and wise in selecting what is genuine and what is not. Always refer to data you can trace to legit sources, like official sites and pages.

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Be Locally Famous: Six Strategies for Budding Businesses

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Every entrepreneur wants massive reach in business, to be recognized internationally. However, there’s the first hurdle of local promotion; you can’t reach beyond borders if you’ve yet to be recognized within your own.

Your target market may be small and local, but it’s a good start. Introduce products and services in ways that stand out in a saturated market; if you’re building awareness before familiarity, then your locale is the best place to start. It’s your springboard to recognition.

The process is more involved than these six strategies, but you’re guaranteed on the right track if you work on your own pace:

1. Befriend business reporters

Media is one of the most influential means of relaying information to the public. If you acquaint with business reporters and establish a good relationship with them, it’s drumming up a buzz about your business. There are plenty of publications focusing on stories about local businesses, platforms where your enterprise can be put in a spotlight. The relationship is mutual, because business reporters also need consultants from different industries; lend your expertise pro bono to build rapport, foster a good connection.

2. Contribute content to business publications

Once you’ve developed relationship with business reporters, they’ll eventually want your industry experience and learning published, shared with their audience. You’ll have opportunities to introduce your products and services through your contributions, promoting these to larger, new communities. And if your output earns good feedback from readers, you can expect repeated requests along the way. Who knows, you might even become a regular, syndicated contributor.

3. Nominate your business (and your team) for local awards

Business publications find ways to highlight new and different aspects of industries; there’s always something of interest to cover. Publications will push content as long as there’s community readership. You can leverage this by nominating your business for local awards; use search engines to scout for local institutions, award-giving bodies suitable for your business. Even if you’re not at par with the other nominees, there’s still benefit in being nominated.

4. Expand your network at industry events; establish your business’s presence

Networking is proactively acquainting with your colleagues, to discuss your products and services, your team and business prospects. Through networking, business relationships are being established from one entrepreneur to the next. Attending networking events helps you locally promote your enterprise, with opportunities to introduce your merchandise to broader markets, especially to your potential customers.

Your network strategy must be focused on events relevant to your business, if you want to be exposed to the right crowd. Otherwise, you’re wasting time, money and effort, making the most of every mismatch.

5. Broaden your relationships

Build on your network by engaging the outer branches; friends of friends, people you know who could be well-connected. Don’t restrict yourself to people who fit the profile of a good connection; random introductions sometimes lead to great partnerships. Broaden your relationships with people, and capitalize on your network’s reach.

6. Impress your customers

Your market is primary consideration in doing business. As entrepreneur, prioritize your customers and you’re ensured healthy relationship. Customers and clients are your largest marketing resource; you can’t underestimate the reach of word-of-mouth, especially on social media. Maintain communication with your market, appreciate their business. Treat them better, serve them well. If you leave a good impression, you’re guaranteed repeat business from customers who’ll also bring in their networks into the fold.

Expect you’ll juggle several or all of these strategies, and it takes time to get the hang of things. Your goal is to grow local, so it pays to move at your own pace. Satisfy your customers, develop your products and services; earn referrals, new business opportunities. Gain and maintain your edge over competitors.

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