“So, Did You Get Enough To Eat?”
Top 10 Reasons to Follow Up
Have you heard this question enough times over the Thanksgiving holiday? We often hear this question from mothers and grandmothers (and other hosts) right after we have finished eating.
Have you ever wondered why they ask you this question? They cooked, they served you, they saw you eating… so why the question? Well, it is because mothers and grandmothers are great at following up
Too many businesses and other organizations believe that the “sale” ended when the product was handed over (or service was rendered) and they got paid. Great marketers, however, understand that this exchange is not the end — They follow up with their customers after the sale.
In addition to it being “the right thing to do”, following up after the sale is a great way to grow your business, no matter what type of business you are in. Here is a list of reasons why following up could help your business:
- It is an opportunity to make things right, in case the product and/or service did not meet the clients’ expectations
- Prevent negative reviews or feedback from becoming public if the customer was not happy, which encourages favorable word-of-mouth with the purchase
- Guide the customer to realizing that she or he is happy with the purchase
- Ask for repeat business
- Offer an upgrade or an up-sale (add-ons)
- Ask for referrals
- Encourage a public positive review and feedback
- Get feedback and learn how you might improve your product and service
- Ask for a quote, testimonial, or permission to make them a reference customer
- Bragging rights, as in “97% of our customers are satisfied…”
Following up after the sale can be done in a formal manner by sending out a survey or utilizing a third party to conduct a short interview. However, informal follow-up in the form of a call or an email from a sales person, manager, or the owner of the company, work very well too!
No matter what your budget is or how many customers you have, make sure you follow up after the sale. Doing so will pay big dividends over time!
If you need our help, Fractional CMO is always here to answer questions and help you with anything marketing-related.
Duke Merhavy, MBA, Ph.D.
President & Chief Marketing Officer
What Is Fractional CMO?
Hiring a full-time CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) is often not cost-effective for most small-to-mid-sized businesses (SMBs). We offer SMBs senior-level expertise, experience, and a holistic marketing approach, on a part-time basis for a fraction of the cost.
Fractional CMO is dedicated to your success, and our mission is to turn your vision into reality. Click on the short explainer video to the right for a quick explanation.
Marketing Lingo: “Customer” versus “Client”
Do you have customers or do you have clients? The two words are often used interchangeably, and for a good reason. Both words have similar meanings, but there is a difference between the two. It is important to understand the difference in order to use the most appropriate terminology in your business.
Both a “customer” and a “client” refer to a person who buys goods and services from the company. However, we tend to use the term “client” in the following situations:
- When relationship and transaction between buyer and seller is more long-term or repeated over time
- Business interaction is more formal and often involves a written agreement such as a contract or a lease
- The nature of the transaction focuses on providing more professional-level services than just goods or low-skill help
- Services delivered are more customized and delivered with a higher degree of personal attention
‘Marketing Lingo’ is a regular column in which we define, or otherwise explain, terms often used in marketing but not necessarily correctly or properly by some
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Fractional CMO has been working with Management One on systemizing its marketing efforts using best practices Mr. Sudman has developed over the past three decades of successfully marketing his property management services to property owners. The marketing ‘system’ includes flowcharts, instructions, scripts, communication copy, images, and so on; and it is part of the overall licensed property management system being used by other property management companies across the country. In addition to the marketing ‘manual’, their comprehensive system includes everything else one would need to run a successful property management business.
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If you’d like to learn more about how Fractional CMO helped Print & Imprint and what we might be able to do for you, give us call at 888-412-2236 or click here.
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