editor’s forum
7 Reasons to Call your Customers Right Now
Tey know you. Hopefully they like you. Now call them and make some money. G
etting customers in the door is our reason for business. All of our cool prod- ucts, technical expertise and fabrication wizardry mean nothing if people don’t
come in to experience it. But it’s also been one of the more difficult tasks to accomplish of late, mainly because people have better things to do, and they (and their wallets) are being stretched in multiple directions with the bombardment of TV, radio, bill- boards and email. If you’re running your business properly, you have
SOLOMON DANIELS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
a list of customers that includes their contact infor- mation, what they purchased and when. However, if it’s sitting in the back room in a dusty file cabinet, you are overlooking your greatest sales resource. Most experts agree it costs 4 to 6 times the amount to get a new customer than to keep an existing one. So the simple math is that our existing customers should be our priority. But then there’s that old problem of calling or emailing them without sounding too sales-sy or too much like every- one else who markets
#3 The Add-on. This opening is ideal for customers who purchased a product and may not have been able to get the add-on feature or additional products they were inter- ested in at the time of purchase. Remind them of your conversation and let them know that other custom- ers purchased the add-on and are ecstatic with it. If needed, offer them an incentive to come in and get it. #4 The Update. This opening also improves your credibility by making you look proactive. If the customer pur- chased a product that requires a software update, offer to have them come in and you’ll update it at no charge. (Even if it’s a free DIY download for the
“Call the customer and tell them it’s a 7-day check- up to make sure everything is working perfectly and to inquire if they have any questions or concerns.”
to them. So how do you do it successfully? Three words: Make it personal. You’ve already built some level of rapport because they purchased from you, so take advantage of it. So what’s your opening line? It’s got to make a connection
and grab their interest. Here are seven ideas. #1 The Anniversary. For customers who last did business with you a year or more
ago, this is a nice opening to re-establish communication and fish for add-on sales or upgrades. Tell your customer you were going through their invoices and noticed it’s been a year (or two, or three) since they purchased the XYZ from you. #2 The Follow-Up. This opening helps you get ahead of any problems or con- cerns that may have popped up on a recent install and makes you look like a hero for being proactive. Call the customer and tell them it’s a 7-day check-up to make sure everything is working perfectly and to inquire if they have any questions or concerns.
8 Mobile Electronics June 2014
customer, most won’t do it.) And while they’re in store, work on new sales opportunities. #5 The Replacement. This opening works for security or remote start customers who use a key fob. Whether the remote control battery is dead or not, tell customers that it’s recommended to change the batteries peri- odically to ensure reliable
operation, and that you’ll be happy to do it at no charge. (One sale from one customer will offset a whole pack of batteries!) #6 The Tuning. This is one of those openings that really make you look like a specialist. Offer your customer an invitation to come in and have their system tuned or re-tuned. Talk about new tuning equipment or techniques you may have picked up recently. It also helps if you can mention the type of music they like. #7 And our favorite: The Thought. This opening really creates a connection because it shows
you’re also interested in the customer as a person. It can be based on any of the above, meaning there’s an anniversary, new product or available update, but it hinges on these pow- erful words: “I was looking at … and I saw / heard / read … and I thought of you.” Everybody wants to be remembered, right?
Tanks to Jason Kranitz for help with these tips.
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