Winning Repeat Business: Follow-up Techniques That Work

By Allan Pulga

The secret to obtaining repeat customers and building a solid referral system is following up in a way that has a positive effect on the customer, says sales and marketing expert Danielle Kennedy.

She says that although closing a sale can be seen as the completion of servicing the customer’s needs, it’s really only the beginning of a relationship with the customer.

In an article in Entrepreneur magazine, Kennedy quotes Ted Levitt, former editor of the Harvard Business Review: “The sale merely consummates the courtship. Then the marriage begins. How good the marriage is depends on how well the relationship is managed by the seller.”

A good follow-up involves three basic elements:

1. Gratitude: Call or e-mail the customer to say thank you and find out if he/she is pleased with the product or service.

2. Accountability: Accept full responsibility for problems. Don’t pass the buck and say “such-and-such department should have known better.”

3. A commitment to further serve: Tell customers what you can do rather than what you cannot do for them.

Kennedy offers a few pointers for effective follow-up practices that have been successful throughout her career in retail.

• The Kindergarten Follow-up: Kennedy tells the story of how her daughter’s two kindergarten teachers created an effective method of follow-up communication: a weekly summary/update of the children’s lessons and activities.

“When I read the report every Friday, I was reassured that these teachers were doing an outstanding job,” she says. “We need to spend more time communicating to our customers about what we are doing for them.”

• The Felicitous Follow-up Recommendation: If you know from the start you won’t remember to send thank-you notes on a regular basis, use contact management software to automatically send birthday, anniversary or other appropriate cards to your customers.

Try to handle your own follow-up work. “In today’s marketplace, the primary salesperson seems to be moving farther and farther away from direct contact with customers,” says Kennedy.

Ask satisfied customers for a testimonial letter. Get permission to use their quotes in your advertising.

Write loyal customers personalized, handwritten notes telling them about promotions or to catch up on past products/services sold. “You no longer have to prove yourself to these people. Just show up!”

• Cards and Outrageous Gifts: “Under the category of advertising and promotions, never underestimate the power of gift-giving to ensure repeat business,” says Kennedy. “You don’t have to spend a fortune to show people you care. If you’re high on creativity but low on funds, you can still come up with some interesting gifts for your customers.”

***Cellular retailers can send customers coupons for store credit when they are due for an upgrade. This ensures customers will return to the store and seek the same service that previously impressed them.

• Post-sale Problem Solvers: “No matter how good your product is, complaints and problems will arise,” she adds. “How you handle those problems can make or break your chances for repeat business.”

• Listen. Let customers vent their frustrations and encourage them to speak freely.
• Be diplomatic. Never argue with a customer. Politely share your point of view.
• Do not discredit the customer’s problem. Their grievances are always valid.
• Don’t delay taking action to remedy the situation.
• Empathize. Imagine you’re the one with the complaint. How would you want the situation handled?

A lot of these tips are common sense, but in a retail setting – where customers come and go and sales and service procedures repeat themselves over and over – it’s easy to take the “little” follow-up details for granted.

Pay attention to the post-sale follow-up process; develop and maintain a good relationship with customers and watch their visits repeat themselves over and over as well.