Follow Up the Sale with Value

There’s a lot that goes into capturing a sale. From creating unique goods and services, crafting meaningful marketing, and delivering the best product possible, you’ve invested a lot of time and energy into attracting your customers. It makes sense to keep the momentum going and help your customers repeat their business.

Following up with your customers makes good sense. Sharing how grateful you are for their business lets them know they matter. Saying thank you is a good first step, but there’s more that can be done to build lasting customer relationships.

Your Customers Want to Hear from You

We’ve all experienced an abrasive and persistent sales person. The sort that come across as insincere and “salesy”. You can almost visualize them crossing you off a long list of contacts that help them meet their follow-up quota for the week. No one wants to hear from that salesperson, but they do want to hear from sincere and helpful businesses.

On the flip side, ghosting your customers after the sale isn’t smart either. Failing to connect with your customers out of fear you’ll be labeled bothersome could lead to being forgotten and all the work you put into capturing them in the first place fades over time.

The key is finding meaningful ways to follow up after the sale that complement what they’ve purchased and increases your company’s value to them as a customer.

Follow Up the Sale with Value

Ideally, following up with customers after the sale should provide value. Offering resources, information, or opportunities that add to what you’ve already provided is a great way boost customer loyalty and increase referrals. Here are some savvy ways to add value after the sale-

1. Offer advice – If you take the time to understand why a customer made their purchase, offering advice that helps to achieve their big goals is valuable. For example, if someone purchases a digital product, it makes sense to show them additional ways the product brings them value. Sending follow up emails expanding on the benefits of the product and showing them additional uses for it can help them get more for their purchase and reach their goals faster.
2. Offer resources – Who you know and what resources you use can help your customers. Sharing resources that are pertinent to your customer adds to their success and the value you provide. In some cases, you can increase your own income by sharing resources that offer affiliate programs.
3. Solve problems – Nothing cements customer loyalty better than solving their problems. When your follow up helps your customer overcome hurdles it promotes reciprocity. People naturally want to do business with people they like and everyone likes people who solve their problems.
4. Create a community – One way to provide ongoing value is creating a community and keeping them engaged. Having a forum, group, or event that bonds customers to your products is a great way to add value and create a pipeline for ongoing follow up. Hosting a Facebook group can be an excellent way to engage customers regularly and keep your business top of mind.

Following up with your customer is important, but it means nothing if you aren’t providing value. Engage your customers by offering them meaningful contact on a regular basis that takes them beyond the point of sale into a relationship with your brand.