How to Follow Up with Customers
Following
up after you've made a sale will enable you to capture repeat business, the
cornerstone of most successful small businesses. You can follow up by phone,
in-person, or through the mail. Here are some specific methods you can try:
Call
Customers a Few Weeks After a
If you run an auto body shop, call all
customers two weeks after they pick up their car to find out how the car is and
make sure they are happy with the job your business performed. This will enable
you to address customer discontent, if any exists. This is also a good time to
thank them for their patronage.
Write
a Note
A handwritten note thanking a customer
for buying from you is a simple step that lots of business owners overlook.
This type of personal approach is almost always appreciated and remembered.
Form letter follow-ups are not recommended, since they lose their personal
touch.
Keep
in Touch
Call your customers periodically to find
out if their business has changed in any way, and if you can help them with
anything. Customers will also appreciate being kept apprised of any new
developments, upgrades, or additional products.
Seek
Customer Input
A survey such as the one below can be
printed on the back of a business reply card and sent out to all of your
customers. It is excerpted from Superstar Sales Secrets by Barry J. Farber
(Career Press). Farber recommends using this survey to determine where you need
to improve your follow-up and customer service:
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Ken Roys, CEO
BTF Management Consultants Inc
866-385-1900 Toll Free 713-983-7904 Fax
Ken.Roys@btfmanagement.com
www.btfmanagement.com