Congratulations! You’ve closed the big sale! The contract has been signed, the product delivered, and the customer is happy! The process is done…isn’t it? Don’t bet on it!
Beginners often believe that they have crossed the finish line at this point, but realistically this is only the start of the REAL RACE. A business can only survive if they have repeat customers, and the only thing your customer has told you at this point is that they will TRY YOU OUT. Sales Psychology tells us that this is the most opportune moment for the virus of POST PURCHASE DISSONANCE to strike.
POST PURCHASE DISSONANCE, also called buyer’s remorse, is the feeling of “Should I have bought this?” that can strike after a major or high involvement purchase. The customer has spent a lot of money at this point and incongruent feelings as to quality, performance, pricing, or a hundred other things related to the purchase can strike at this moment. This is the most critical point at which an item may be returned or a contract not followed through upon.
The only way to combat this, and avoid having the item returned or the contract voided, is to offer a Post Sale Reassurance element in your marketing program. Post Sale Reassurance allays the customer’s fears as to the wisdom of their decision and firmly plants confidence in the product in their mind.
How can you do this? Here are some ideas:
- A letter of thanks sent to the client, reaffirming the major elements of “the rightness” of the decision.
- A follow-up phone call within a week, and a month (or a suitable time period), to ensure that the product is being integrated properly, and no problems have cropped up.
- A complementary add-on gift sent to the client that screams your appreciation to have them as a new client.
- etc. . . .
There are probably hundreds of more ways in which you can allay POST PURCHASE DISSONANCE through a POST SALE REASSURANCE program. The only thing to remember is that YOU MUST DO IT. Not following through at this point would be like being in a 747 Jet and not buckling up for the takeoffs and landings. Sure, you’ll make it up and down several times just fine, but at the critical moment when you really need to be strapped in… Well, you get the picture.
