N5 Sales Management The final step (step 7) in the selling process is After-sales Service. 1. The importance of after-sales service
The sales transaction has not been successfully completed before the customer is completely satisfied with the product or service. The salesperson can determine and ensure his customer’s satisfaction only by regular follow-up visits and after-sales service.
This is especially important in Business-to-Business sales. The salesperson must have regular contact with the customer, at least once or twice a month.
Providing after-sales service is vital in building long-term customer relationships, ensuring customer loyalty. It also encourages the customer to refer more business to the salesperson, thus leading to more sales.
After-sales service includes follow-up visits/calls to make sure the customer is satisfied with the product as well as dealing with complaints.
2. Why must customers be followed up?
• To ensure customer satisfaction • To make the customer feel important • To ensure customer loyalty • To build strong long-term relationships with customers (ensuring returning customers) • To provide support to customers • To handle complaints/enquiries • To provide customer care and after-sales service
3. Which follow-up activities are necessary?
• Thank the customer. The salesperson thanked the customer after closing the sale. It is just good manners to thank the customer again after all the formalities have been finalised (contracts signed, documentation completed etc.). This can be done by means of a personal visit, call or e-mail. When thanking the customer, it is important to reassure the customer that he has made the right decision, especially in the case of large/expensive orders. Delivery times, installation schedules etc. can also be confirmed.
• Confirm delivery details of the product. In business-to-business selling, the salesperson is most often not responsible for personal delivery of the product. It remains the salesperson’s duty to communicate with the responsible department on when delivery will take place and making sure that it does happen.
The salesperson must make sure the customer knows how to operate the product after delivery took place. For example, a salesperson from Incredible Connection who helps a customer with the installation of programs on his new laptop and makes sure the customer knows how to operate the
106
NOTE
Not all products are “delivered”. Delivered means the customer receives the product – whether it is there on the spot in the shop, or whether delivery takes place a couple of days later in the case of business-to-business sales.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130
