10 ways to help your customers with their purchases
Customers are very different, with a wide array of traits: there are analytical customers, who like consistency, facts and proof, omniscient customers, which can oftentimes prove to be quite audacious, and irate customers, who are generally impatient. While these customers represent the confident type that knows exactly what they want, there are quite many individuals who do not fall into this category.
Some customers hesitate a lot when making decisions — they are known as noncommittal customers. My question for you is – if you’ll have to serve this type of customer, how are you going to handle it?
These customers, most often than not, have to be guided and assisted before they can make up their minds regarding a decision of whether to purchase or not. But how?
Considering all these different customer behaviors, it is very important to know everything about your company, the services and products it sells and the correct strategy for offering your assistance regarding their purchases. Maximized customer care is what matters.
However, it seems that some businesses nowadays forget to exert much effort in helping their clients when it comes to purchasing. Perhaps, it has a lot to do with the fear of being considered too pushy — which in most cases is a major turn off for any customer. Nonetheless, there is a proper way of doing it without being too forceful.
The following are a few examples of how to assist your customers:
- Attracting clients. How do you attract customers? First you have to be knowledgeable about your product and services. If people see that you know what you’re talking about, they will trust you. Try to first build a relationship before flaunting your sales pitches. One good way of attracting clients is to inform them of your best deals or promotions.
- Informing them. Make sure that your clients are kept up to speed. Regularly tell them about your latest deals, offers and other information they may be interested in. Although there are some clients who keep records of things and monitor product information, there are also customers who simply lose track of everything, so it’s always best to keep them posted. Remember, giving updates to customers affects their purchasing intention. In fact, some customers buy from businesses simply because they are well informed.
- Remembering proper timing. Aside from making sure they are informed, always try to keep track of timing – knowing when the time is right. Inform your customers about your products, but don’t overdo it. And if they have a specific query or simply want to ask about certain specifications, listen to them patiently and try to help out.
- Providing quality and reliable product descriptions.Proper labelling should showcase the features of your product. A good product label entices the customer, further developing their curiosity for your product and desire to buy it. Aside from texts, you can also provide good visual indicators, to help out.
- Making it clear. Make sure that there is no confusion regarding any information on the products, especially when it comes to pricing.
- Asking them what they want. While some companies do not like this strategy, as it is usually associated with hard selling, some experts say that if done properly, it can be a really effective way of helping your clients decide what they want.
- Giving them some expert advice, based on what they want or need. After talking to your customers and knowing what they want, it’s time you give them some expert advice. Remember, avoid hard or aggressive selling. Be friendly and tell them the benefits they can reap from your products.
- Offering them flyers, brochures, and other materials. Even if the customer is not going to immediately make a purchase, make sure that he/she is going to take something with him/her back home, a.k.a. a flyer/brochure. Giving brochures and flyers is an effective way of telling your customers to study your products and ensuring they remember you.
- Following up! Now, we’re not saying that you have to bother your customer every time you have an opportunity. Instead, make sure that you drop an e-mail, for example, every now and then, either thanking him/her for their purchase or showcasing your newest offers. This tells your client that he has not been forgotten.
- Making your purchasing processes easy and always trying to guide the customer. Ensure that your purchasing processes are as streamlined and hassle-free as they can be. If your customer can be done with his/her shopping in a few moments, they will most likely come back.
Finally, inform your customers that a post-purchase assistance service is available, so that they can still get in touch with you if they encounter any problems in the future.
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