Do your automated responses truly help you connect better with prospects and customers? We hear a lot of talk about using automation in lead nurturing and the sales cycle: we automate social networking, social platforms, social marketing, social selling and the buyer focused sales cycle. As sales professionals, how do we use automatic processes to enhance the buyer experience, before and after the sale?
I recently had an experience researching a solution for a client, which was frustrating because of the customer service system. It made me take a fresh look at the value of automatic messaging in fostering leads.
As a buyer, my experience was frustrated by the system set up to handle my questions. This inspired five tips that would have made my experience more pleasant, to help others in sales and marketing to better nurture the interests of prospects and customers.
- Please do not send me a meaningless automated response, telling me simply that you received my email request and will be responding shortly. Include who will be contacting me, when to expect a reply, and through which medium (I’m hoping you’ll reply to the address, number or channel I used to reach you).
- Even better than connecting with me the same way I reached you, is to respond the way I prefer and suggest. For example, if email is my only option to reach you, I will email you, but I may want someone to call me. If I ask you to call me, please do so (I don’t want to interact through your scripts alone).
- I have a specific reason for contacting your firm. Listen for why I’m calling. Ask about what I need, and show me you understand my reason for connecting before trying to setup a demo or a meeting. Don’t push me to schedule your demo – it’s the least of my concerns but usually one of the first of yours.
- Please let me call you only once. ‘One and done’ is important to me as potential customer. I’ll call you multiple times if I have to (after all, I need to report back to my client), but your follow-up to my initial call makes a great impression. This works to your advantage. Be diligent in responding to my inquiry before the sale; it’s a strong indication to me as a buyer how I will be treated after the sale.
- Always be pleasant. It is paramount to customer satisfaction on your buyer’s journey.
I hope these five tips help you serve your customers and prospects better through your automated systems. Small changes in your automated processes can lead fewer prospects to think you don’t really care, and encourage more to appreciate that you do.