We all know that our websites and catalogs must sell, but it’s common to neglect the many other customer touchpoints that can also serve as selling opportunities. Among them:
• Transactional emails. Order confirmations, shipping notices and the like enjoy higher open rates than any other type of email. Use them to highlight related products, offer a discount or bonus on a future order, solicit enewsletter subscriptions, or feature your company’s benefits.
• Packing slips. Your product shipments are guaranteed to get opened, and the packing slip usually receives at least a passing glance. Why not use that space to sell? It doesn’t cost you a penny extra!
• Inbound calls. When customers order by phone, it presents a perfect opportunity to ask for an additional sale. Make it an item of widespread interest, offer a small discount, and 10% or more of the people you offer it to are likely to answer “yes.”
You need to be selective about selling on customer service calls, as it’s poor form to try to sell a disappointed or angry customer. Tailor your pitch carefully to the right callers, and you’ll garner a few more sales or email subscribers if you just ask.
• Thank you’s. You can create an additional customer touchpoint by sending a “thank you for your order” email a few weeks after shipment. It’s a perfect time to ask for customer reviews. Likewise, you can create goodwill and additional sales with “happy birthday” or “thank you for being our customer” offers.
Today it’s more important than ever not to leave money on the table. By reviewing every customer touchpoint and considering how you can use it to deepen your customer relationships and sell more product, you’re sure to find new opportunities for additional revenue.
