Many companies focus their sales and engagement efforts on drawing in new customers with great deals. Aiming marketing efforts at a target audience in order to bring in new sales is fine, but some brands do so to the detriment of their current customers, driving them away and ultimately losing more sales than they obtain. Additionally, many companies are relying too heavily on automation and ignoring how valuable the human touch is for sales.
The key to attracting new customers is engaging them in a meaningful way that gets them interested in a product and company—and willing to spend money on them. Engagement will get a message out there, get people talking about a brand, and pique interest. However, engagement isn’t just for new customers. It is critical that companies foster engagement with their current customers as well. In general, superior customer experience drives superior revenue growth in industries where customers are free to switch business and where competitors deliver a differentiated customer experience.
Use these three tips to improve sales through customer engagement:
Establish what kinds of engagement customers are happy with. Companies should look at what attracted a customer in the first place and ensure that same factor is either continued or improved for return customers. Exemplify those points in marketing and employee training efforts to show customers that the business cares about the same things they do by utilizing consultative sales. This will enhance those customers’ perceptions of the brand and keep them coming back.
Use technology to improve the human touch. In a world where physical stores are trying to stay competitive with online retailers, store employees need to be armed with smart devices that make the shopping experience easier. Employees can use them to look at inventory, reference product features and assist in picking-up orders that were placed online. And some stores are using smart devices to allow associates to complete shopper transactions from anywhere in the store, which is a great alternative to the disconnect that is self-checkout. Customers are still able to engage with a human, but the process becomes more streamlined and employees are able to offer higher levels of service.
Consider bringing in outside experts. With any retail sales and marketing initiative, a brand that enlists the assistance of outside experts will get a boost to overall category coverage and many other areas. This will help reach out to both current and potential customers, while cutting down on unnecessary effort that complicates workflow. Companies can have outsourced sales associates that focus on new customers, while other associates put all of their attention on current ones, or utilize the expertise to advance both areas with ease.
MarketSource’s sales teams deliver more than $6 billion in revenue for many of the most well-respected brands in the world and a diverse mix of forward-thinking small- and medium-sized businesses. They are highly trained in customer engagement strategies for new and current customers. You can learn more about this topic and MarketSource’s proprietary process, empowered people, and proven performance by contacting us today.