Boosting Post-Sales Support for Startups
A company’s post-sales support is as important as the pre-sales process, if not more. You can either convert users into loyal customers or watch them choose your competitor who offers better support and looks to build stronger relationships.
To survive, every company needs recurring income. One-time sales can only do so much for your revenue. The best companies today focus on fulfilling customer needs and expectations with the product as well as with post-sales services.
Of course, you need a great product out on the shelves but it is hard to guarantee that all of them will work as expected. A range of issues can crop up and your customers will want you to help them resolve it. The idea is to give them a smooth experience so that they can ultimately see the value in you, the company, and that goes beyond converting leads into sales.
For startups, especially those new in the market, the focus needs to be split between onboarding new customers and retaining existing ones. Juggling both is difficult, but not impossible. Here are some easy tips to boost your post-sales services without putting excessive pressure on resources.
Stay Connected, Regardless of the Purchase
Your outreach should not be confined to only those that buy from you, it should be extended to even those that just show interest in your product. Your primary task is to ensure that the customer does not forget about you or feel that you have forgotten about them.
If you are sending newsletters, blogs and company updates to customers, make sure you’re doing something similar for your leads. Build a mailing list, get their phone numbers and stay connected with everyone you interact with. By taking such proactive steps, you may be successful in converting these leads into buyers.
Everyone who comes to you should become a part of your growing community. They should see your effort in communicating with them and following up.
Focus on User Generated Content
Sometimes more than the product, you have to sell stories. User generated content (UGC) is the latest marketing buzzword that pertains to content that is uploaded or contributed by customers of a brand. There is no limitation on the type of content- it can be textual, visual and even auditory.
By encouraging users to share photos, videos and even reviews of the product, and further showcasing them on digital platforms, you not only keep them engaged but also attract new users.
For example, GoPro has used UGC extensively on its social media platforms and it holds numerous videos of customers using their cameras. After using GoPro products, users can share clipping on their accounts which are featured by GoPro and some even win awards! This keeps users exciting and connected to the brand for a longer time.
Keep up With Brand Mentions
There are so many platforms that customers use that it can get a little overwhelming. You need to be where the customers are, not the other way around. However, it is very important to know the market sentiment and see the feedback you are getting online. If there are any concerns, they need to be addressed fast.
Keep a tab on social media and other digital platforms and look up your brand mentions. There are plenty of free tools available online to check where your company is being talked about. As a part of your post-sales initiative, make sure you respond to queries and feedback, both negative and positive. Don’t ignore the concerns of your customers and go the extra mile to make their experience better.
In fact, there is a high chance that you already ask for feedback from customers so unless you keep up with them, the whole process is futile. Have your logistics sorted out so you can take care of any replacements or refunds that may need to be made. A little more effort can lead you to a lot more sales.
Be Quick, Use Technology Where Possible
A Hubspot research found that 90% of customers rate an “immediate” response (10 minutes or under) as important or very important while judging the customer service of a company. Those are some seriously high standards to live up to, but equally vital.
When we talk about being proactive in the post-sales process, it literally means you have a few minutes before the customer starts to lose interest. While a small team can only manage so much of the workload, try to improve your response time as much as you can. Do not fix particular time slots in the day for responding to customers. Let it be as soon as possible so that customer queries are resolved fast.
Technology and chatbot integrations can be looked at, depending on your budget. If you have a tech team in place, there is something that they can come up with to help you reply faster to customers. And even if it is a distant dream for now, make sure to have it on the priority list as you scale.
Patience is the Key
You will probably be trying to reach out to many people and get feedback from them after they purchase from you. But the harsh truth is that very few actually respond or give you time to ask them questions. In fact, some studies suggest that you could need upto 8 calls just to get in touch with a customer.
However, persistence can lead you to good results. Many times, startups lose interest in following up if they do not get a response for the first couple of times. It is good to remember that there is light ahead of the tunnel. If you make it past the initial phase, you will see customers buy more products from you. Even your prospects can end up converting to customers.
It is undeniably difficult to go over this process repeatedly but you will see the long run results more than making up for this effort.
Bottomline
As startups, post-sales support is critical because it converts customers into loyal followers of a brand. If you are able to build a loyal community, scaling up and growth will be that much easier. This is because they will believe in what you sell them and will be the first to try out new launches.
Improving post-sales service does not need to be a costly affair. A few tweaks here and there can help you live up to the expectations of your customers.
