Hi All,
I would be discussing on how on Creating Loyal Buyers.
The formula for a repeat buyer is actually simple.
A satisfied buyer = repeat buyer.
One of the key elements of buyer satisfaction is communication. Visualize yourself as a new buyer โ He is a person who has heard about internet buying, comes to eBay, sees a product photograph, he hasnโt seen the product nor the seller, takes a leap of faith, pays for it and hopes that the goods will arrive on time and as described. The only solace he has amongst all this is your word that the item is great and will be shipped on time. To keep up the trust, communicate often:
- Communication via Item description: Doesnโt necessarily start after the transaction takes place, effective selling starts with
o Mention contact details in listing โ this is a first step towards building buyer confidence
o Communicating complete product description in the item title, as Sainath as discussed in his earlier post.
o Accurately describing the product condition
o Including detailed shipping and handling information,
o Highlighting your Warranty/Return policies in the description details in the listing
- Communication post transaction:
I know of a seller in Jaipur, who sells gemstones to US buyers. Every time there is a transaction, next day the buyer gets a call to inform him about the shipment status and time within which he can expect the shipment. He follows this practice even if the cost of product is $2. Imagine a buyerโs delight to receive so much personalized attention and comfort of having spoken to the seller. His buyer loyalty rates are high, but his phone bills are not :-). He has subscribed to skype, where at $ 6 (Rs. 350 approx) per month he gets unlimited calls to US (both landline and mobile) and for $ 13 (Rs. 650 approx) unlimited calls to any where in the world.
Here are some dos on your communication post a transaction:
a. Set yourself a time within which you will respond to a user query, and communicate that clearly in description and email communication to buyer.
b. Give him feedback as soon as he has paid for the item. He has honored his part of the commitment. Also, by giving feedback first, you increase his chance of giving you a feedback.
c. Be polite and courteous with your buyers. Treat them as goodwill ambassadors for your brand.
d. Never ignore a buyer call. If you are busy, take the call and inform him that you will call him later
e. Explore options of cheap internet telephony to communicate with your buyers often.
f. eMail him at every step of transaction โ Item bought, Item shipped, Item shipment delayed, Item received by buyer
g. Send you business card with the package. It will help your buyer reach out to you in case of any difficulty and remember you for later purchase.
h. Managing New Buyers: This buyer needs maximum attention since it is his first time that he is buying without touching the product. Shower new buyers with attention and communication.
i. When a problem arises, donโt assign blame. Work with your buyer to resolve the problem quickly and professionally.
Shipping time and Handling charges:
๏ง Charge reasonably for shipping. Remember your profits need to come from your item price and not from shipping. Also, most buyers know / easily find out, how much it costs to courier an item within India. They will appreciate you charging them actual.
๏ง Offer discounts for shipping multiple items in one order. It will also help you sell multiple items to the same buyer.
๏ง email the number of courier companyโs customer support to your buyer. He will not have to hunt for it in case he needs to coordinate with them.
๏ง Offer free shipping. There are multiple benefits of offering free shipping.
o All inclusive cost is easier for buyer to comprehend and fastens his decision making process and increasing your sales. In fact buyerโs preference for free shipping items have been growing strongly.
o Greater visibility on US / UK sites if you are selling on those sites. The Best Match search gives higher preference to items that have free shipping
DSR scores a means to measure your buyer satisfaction. Your DSR scores are accurate data points of what your buyer thinks of your accuracy in item description, your communication skills, shipping timelines and shipping costs. If your DSR scores are not what you think they should be, then speak to your buyers, find out the gaps and plug them.
Speak to your Repeat Buyers:Ask them what about your service / product makes them come back to you. Try and highlight that to all buyers
Here is a short checklist that you has summarized the action points above. You can copy this and save it on your machine for your future use:
Happy Buyer Checklist (Tick yes/ No for each option)
- Contact details in Item Description
- SLA (service level) in Item Description
- email to buyer on receiving order
- Feedback to the buyer after receiving payment
- Business card in the package
- eMail to buyer after shipping order
- eMail courier company customer support number to buyer
- Call / eMail to buyer after he received the item
- Save buyer email for future activities
Regards,
Anil