You’ve just finished feasting on mounds of turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing — sales engagement might not be the first thing on your mind but if you hope to boost sales this holiday season, maybe it should be.
In fact, research by Gallup has proven a powerful link between customer engagement and key business outcomes that shouldn’t be ignored. It’s no secret that the day after Thanksgiving kicks off the ultimate shopping season, so it only makes sense that this becomes the ideal time to boost profits.
Take advantage of the season and simultaneously capture customer loyalty. See why saying ‘thanks’ can go a long way in your sales engagement efforts.
Emotional Connection
Engaged customers are more profitable to your business than indifferent or disengaged customers. Without a connection to your brand, customers have no reason to purchase a service or product from you over your competition. This is why the cornerstone of any successful customer engagement strategy is an emotional connection with your brand. So how do you develop strong connections? The answer is simple — by showing a genuine interest in your customers and their needs.
Showing gratitude can not only help strengthen relationships, but also improve the overall customer experience as they journey through the sales funnel. An important part of sales engagement is providing customers with the right content at the right stage of their buyer journey. Give them the information that they need right now, be available to answer their questions, and show a genuine interest in their satisfaction. Having someone from your organization take the time to reach out to customers to thank them for their business during the holiday season promotes positive human connections that customers can take to heart.
New Business
First impressions are everything and there is no exception to this rule in sales. With first-time customers, a simple thank you can go a long way to put you ahead of your competition and increase the likeliness of repeat business in the future. This is the first step to building long-term loyalty. The more value your customers believe they are getting out of your brand, the more they will spend. Close the loop after closing a sale with a simple message to customers thanking them for their business and inviting them to come back the next time they require the product or service that you offer. Everyone likes to feel appreciated, and this is such an easy way to show your customers that they matter to you.
In addition, satisfied customers who have a sales experience that goes above and beyond their expectations are more likely to be advocates for your brand. These customers are your apostles — they will tell their networks of people about how wonderful your company is and why they should purchase from you. Because 92% of consumers trust recommendations from other people, you want to make sure you are creating a customer experience that people want to talk about in a positive way. Social media and online reviews are making it easier for customers to share their experiences with others, and that feedback is more accessible to your audience than ever before. According to Capterra, 88% of consumers equally trust online reviews to be as helpful in the buying process as personal recommendations. Harness the value in your customer feedback to make improvements going forward.
Kindness
Aside from all of the measurable reasons to show gratitude in your sales engagement strategy, there is another reason that matters just as much — kindness. Saying thank you is a kind gesture that can be appreciated by everyone. Yes, it can help boost sales; yes it can help promote your brand visibility; but it is fundamentally the right thing to do. In the end, you get what you put into the world — during this holiday season remember to put kindness into all of your customer interactions, and you might just see it come back to you!
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