How to Follow Up with a Customer

A “thank you” with excitement goes a long way! Think about the time when you did something nice for someone and you got a heartfelt thank you.

Were you expecting it? Did it make an impact? Of course it did! We encourage all of our sales partners to engage in an authentic way with their customers AFTER the sale. It’s good for business, and it’s good for staying humble and showing appreciation.

A small gesture of gratitude can be the one thing that triggers a customer to say something nice about you and your sales team to their circle of influence. After all, they have choices when it comes to an outdoor storage building. So, to show that you are grateful that they chose to shop with YOU, take a few minutes to show it. Consider the following series of touch points that will help you leave a lasting impression:

Yes, the very next day. Make sure you block time in the mornings to write handwritten thank you notes to your customers who purchased the day before. If you’re not so great with words, consider brainstorming a script for each salesperson that fits their personality. A simple “thank you” and your signature is not going to cut it.

If possible, work something into the note from your previous conversations. For example, say something like, “Hey Robby, I’m so excited we were able to find you that man cave you’ve been dreaming about! You’ll have to send us pictures when you get it all set up. We know you have choices for these kinds of things, and we really appreciate you shopping with us. Stop by anytime to say hello. PS. I’ve included a couple of my cards in case your buddies get jealous and want a decked out man cave of their own! – John”

Typically, there is a bit of time between the actual sale and the delivery. Maybe enough time for the customer to forget your name or maybe forget the fact you sent an amazing thank you note. So, you’ll want another touch point to reintroduce yourself and to offer support. The delivery day is super exciting! Most folks will take a half day or full day off work to be home, traffic might have to be blocked, and hopefully things go smooth….but there is a chance for things to go bumpy. What if the outdoor storage building is damaged during delivery? What if the delivery crew was late? A phone call on delivery day can proactively get ahead of these questions, show that you care, and can hopefully get a solution going before the issue gets larger.

This is where it gets fun. Touch base with your customers and ask them how much they love the extra storage space. Whether they bought it to simply store lawn equipment or to use as an outdoor home office, ask them if they are happy with it. You can also find out if they made changes to the inside or the outside. Maybe they added neat rustic shelving or a built-in desk. These kinds of stories will help you get to know how they outdoor buildings are actually being used in order to give customers who are on the fence a picture of how to use the space.

At Hometowne Capital, we are big believers in the art of the follow up. We really like written notes, one on one phone calls, and the sincerity those represent. In our industry, like yours, we appreciate repeat customers as well as those customers who tell their friends and neighbors about the buying process and how smooth it went. Following up can leave a lasting impression, so what are you waiting for?

Do you have a follow up tip that we can share with our sales partners? Let us know by emailing us!