If you are a
good, experienced salesperson, chances are you love to find new ways to
continue with your sales education. In fact, I believe that reading more and
assisting to seminars and courses grants you the advantage of being more
prepared to stick to the good habit of improving the quality of your customer
service. This is true and necessary but it is not enough. Today, you need to
learn more strategies: the main reason why you will be remembered by customers
is what I call the “emotional tool” of surprise.
What do I
mean? I will answer this question with some questions (after all, you already
know of my passion for making them): How would you feel if you got something
unexpected from a salesperson who assisted you in the past? Wouldn´t you agree
with me that in such occasion your mind would probably make an effort to go
back through its files and find the memory attached to the person who sent the
surprise? Wouldn´t this simple act of being surprised make your day a little
bit happier? And because of that, wouldn´t you immediately attach this gesture
with excellent service? Absolutely, is my answer to all these questions.
Now let me
clarify something: to send a surprise to your customers does not mean counting
on a huge budget to do it. Nor does it mean hiring a detective to find out what
each of your customers´ preferences are (Once more: questions are your best
allies when it comes to learning about them).
Essentially,
customers love surprises, and surprises can be strategically crafted for each
of them. The more you know about them, the closer you will be to send the right
surprise.
For example,
years ago I used to have a client who loved dogs. She was single, lived on her
own, and had two lovely dogs she bragged about all the time as if they were her
own kids.
A few weeks
after one of her purchases - and after having sent her my email acknowledgement
to express gratitude for her acquisition - I decided to surprise her with
something that would emotionally ring a bell in her brain and heart: I sent her
two dog-toys for both her “babies”.
Her response
was amazing: She called me immediately to thank me for the presents, expressing
her joy at watching her little pets playing around the house. She became one of
my best customers for many years ever since. Budget? I believe I spent around
20 dollars for both toys (maybe less). Result? Outstanding: I managed to offer
her my help for many years as a saleslady, closed fantastic sales, and built a
strong and trustable long-term relationship with which she still honors me
today.
Your surprises
can also include: Beautiful crafted letters of acknowledgement you can enclose
into lovely envelopes the color your customer adores, nicely arranged bunch of
season flowers sent to office or home, useful desk accessories, etc.
If you are the
shop owner, your gifts will have to reflect it: do not send 20 dollar gifts if
you wish to make an emotional impact to your customers. I have met jeweler
owners who did this (reputable, very well known ones, mind you) only to get
logical, horrible responses from clients. I would suggest for example an
original accessory like a fine pen – the one-of-a-kind- like that people adore-
with your company´s logo and, if possible, the name of your customer crafted on
it.
Love your
customers. Make them feel they are special for you with surprises here and
there and enjoy long-term happy clients and great results.
This article has been published in Jewelry News Network
http://jewelrynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/
Mónica M. Arias
"Helping you discover how to reach your best level of Customer Service through Excellence"
contacto@monicaarias.com.ar
Copyright 2012
This article has been published in Jewelry News Network
http://jewelrynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/
Mónica M. Arias
"Helping you discover how to reach your best level of Customer Service through Excellence"
contacto@monicaarias.com.ar
Copyright 2012
