The Power of After-Sale Marketing

After-sale (or after-sales) marketing is often overlooked, but it can be extremely beneficial to a business. Indeed, after-sale marketing is a fantastic opportunity to build relationships with customers. Better relationships with customers mean increased upsells and a loyal client base. But how do business owners successfully implement an after-sale marketing strategy? What is involved in after-sales marketing, and what actionable steps can businesses take to succeed in this area?

What Is After-Sale Marketing?

After-sale marketing is promoting a product or service after the initial sale. The product or service could be the one that was sold to the customer. Or, it might be a related one that can complement or otherwise enhance the customer’s experience with the first purchase (this type of after-sales marketing is called ‘upselling’). After-sales marketing comes in various forms. It is primarily used to increase sales, retain customers, improve customer loyalty, and enhance customer satisfaction.

After-sale marketing might also be referred to as after-sales service, after-sales support, or after-sales success. Each of these names has slightly different meanings. There are undoubtedly some overlaps in definitions, but all largely relate to the broader activity of after-sales marketing:

• After-sales service relates to services undertaken to maintain or improve the customer’s experience with their original purchase. An example of after-sales service marketing is providing free oil changes for one year after purchasing a new car. This form of after-sales service marketing is an additional convenient benefit to buying the product or service.
• After-sales support relates to answering customer questions or providing customers with self-serve resources. The goal is to make customers feel secure in their interactions with the company. This makes them more likely to buy again in the future. Providing great after-sales support through help desk-style content relieves businesses of expensive and time-consuming one-to-one customer service.
• After-sales success is a combination of activities encouraging customers to remain with the company and use its products and services. Activities could include having someone from the company reach out to the customer to check on their experience, sending regular email newsletters about new products and services, or inviting customers to exclusive events. This is like after-sales service marketing, but it depends more on digital interactions.

The Benefits of After-Sale Marketing

After-sale marketing has many benefits for businesses.

• After-sale marketing helps companies grow their customer base by keeping people interested in their brand.
• After-sales marketing also helps retain customers who have already bought from the company. This is because effective and authentic after-sales marketing proves to customers that the company cares about their experience.
• Finally, after-sales marketing provides an opportunity for businesses to get feedback from their customers. Businesses can then improve future products or services based on customers’ wants and needs. After-sales service marketing is particularly effective here, as companies can often meet their customers in person to ask questions (such as at a car service).

After-Sale Marketing Strategies

As mentioned, after-sale marketing has the goal of keeping customers engaged with a brand after they’ve made a purchase. It involves a range of tactics, from sending email newsletters about how to make the most of a purchase to offering special deals and discounts for new ones. After-sale marketing can have a significant impact on whether or not customers will come back for more. It’s essential to do it right! Here are some after-sales marketing strategies:

• Providing discounts, coupons, and exclusive deals for future purchases. Helping a customer save money is a powerful incentive for customers to return to a business.
• Asking for customer feedback. Requesting that customers offer their thoughts on the product or service’s quality, ease of use, accessibility, utility, and other important factors is one way to ensure customers feel heard and valuable to the company.
• Using dates to send personalized emails. Customers feel special when a company emails them a discount on their birthday. Another idea is to send a thank you note after a certain amount of time.
• Announcing new features to customers first. Everyone gets tired of preferential treatment being offered to new customers. It is, after all, the loyalty of the old customers that builds a business. Sending new feature access just to existing customers can be one way to make customers feel special.
• Serving customers through customer service outreach. Being proactive about customer service and support can help address problems early on. It also reduces complaints and bad reviews and shows customers that a company cares about their experience.

Getting started with after-sales marketing sooner rather than later is a good idea for any business. When done effectively, it can have a massive impact on a company’s bottom line.