Hot Tips To Attract Repeat Sales
There are two ways to look at direct sales. The first is to make a sale and then start looking for the next one. If this is what you’re currently doing in your direct sales business, then you’re missing out on a lot of potential sales that require less effort than it took to make the first sale to someone!
The second, smarter way to look at sales is to not think of it as a sale. Think of it as gaining a new customer for life. If you use this approach and the following techniques, you’ll attract more repeat business and referrals than you would have thought possible.
To explain this better, think of your local supermarket. Generally, people go to the same place to buy their food all the time. There are a few reasons they do that such as convenience, knowing the products, knowing the prices, getting to know the staff, getting the quality they want, etc. People return to the same store because they know the store and feel comfortable there.
It’s the same in any business.
In a direct sales business, you of course, want to have as many customers as possible. It’s much easier to sell to the same customers over and over than it is to keep on trying to find new ones. To build a successful business you need to do both.
Here are some great tips for turning sales into repeat customers.
• Remember birthdays and other special occasions and send an email or a card, or make a quick phone call with good wishes.
• Learn more about your customers and recommend their services to other customers if needed. For example, if you have a customer complaining of a toothache and you have another customer who is a dentist, pass that information on.
• Respect your customers and don’t take them for granted. If there’s a problem with a purchase, don’t try to ignore it. Go the extra mile and try to solve the issue to your customer’s satisfaction.
• Set up regular communication with your customers by creating a newsletter and emailing it to your customers on a regular basis. The content can include new product information, local events, humorous anecdotes, contests and tips on using your products. Offer customers the opportunity to contribute to the newsletter as well.
• Offer specials. Have a “buy two items and get something free” promotion. Or make up simple coupons and hand them out with your current catalog.
• Always ask for referrals at every demonstration and when making every sale.
• Offer current customers an incentive if they give you five referrals.
• If a lot of your customers live locally, run social functions such as a home party at your own house, or an Open House event.
• If you don’t have a website or a blog that you use to promote your business, you really need to think about getting one set up as quickly as possible. An online presence gives you a lot more credibility in this Internet age. Your customers can access information on your site any time they need to, instead of calling you or sending you an email and waiting for a reply. You need to be able to provide them with the information they need when they need it or you may risk losing them as a customer.
• Use your website to offer tips on how to use your products. This way you’re simply offering information and it’s up to the customer to make their own decision about purchasing an item.
• Have a question and answer blog, or a discussion forum as part of your site. This allows your customers to get more information without having to contact you directly. And it helps educate them on your products without creating the impression that you’re a pushy salesperson.
• Offer as many different payment methods as possible.
• Be honest and keep your promises to customers.
• Deliver on your promises 100 percent of the time.
It’s cheaper to keep a customer than to try and get a new one, so if you keep open lines of communication and interest your customers, they’ll have no reason to go elsewhere for the direct sales products you offer.