• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Submissions
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Jul 4, 2022
  • Startup
    • Creating a Plan
    • Funding a Startup
    • Franchise Center
    • Getting Your Office Ready
    • Making Your Business Official
    • Marketing Your New Business
    • Personal Readiness
  • Run & Grow
    • Customer Service
    • Human Resources
    • Innovation
    • Legal
    • Operations
    • Risk Management
  • Leadership
    • Best Practices
    • Communication
    • Green Initiatives
    • Open Culture
    • Strategic Planning
    • People Skills
  • Sales & Marketing
    • Advertising and Lead Generation
    • Marketing Innovations
    • Marketing Plans
    • Online Marketing
    • Relationships
    • Sales Activities
  • Finance
    • Budgeting and Personal Finance
    • Payments and Collections
    • Tax and Accounting
    • Pricing Strategy
    • Working with Investors
    • Working with Lenders
  • Tech
    • eCommerce
    • Hardware
    • Software
    • Security
    • Tech Reviews
    • Telecom
  • Shop

SmallBizClub

Helping You Succeed

Home / Run and Grow / Customer Service / 5 Customer Service Tactics to Increase Sales
5 Customer Service Tactics to Increase Sales

5 Customer Service Tactics to Increase Sales

1398 Views

Feb 17, 2014 By Shep Hyken

To be truly effective, customer service must permeate the culture of a company. It is everyone’s job. As such, this article, although it focuses on sales tactics, actually falls under the heading of customer service. It is more about the way you engage your customers and how you make them feel comfortable about doing business with you now and in the future. These tactics work for B2B as well as B2C, though the examples discussed here are based on a retail setting. Incorporate these five customer service strategies into your sales tactics and watch sales grow.

 
  1. Be engaging. First impressions are always important. Put your best foot forward with the customer greeting, whether it be in person or on the phone. This sets the tone for the entire interaction.
  2. Ask a question. Make it an open-ended question, not just one that requires a yes-or-no answer. The standard “Can I help you?” is too vague and doesn’t invite a definitive answer. Better would be “What can I help you find today?” or something that will draw out a specific reason the customer is shopping in your store.
  3. Ask another. Once you have ascertained what the customer needs, ask why. Knowing why the customer needs a specific product or service will give you a better understanding and possibly other opportunities to help by upselling related products.
  4. Upsell. Once you understand why the customer is purchasing a particular item and why he or she needs it, upsell if appropriate. For example, if an Ace Hardware customer has come to the store to buy a can of paint, it is logical to assume and ask if the customer is also in need of other supplies such as paint brushes, rollers, drop cloths, buckets or trays—you get the idea. If you are reluctant because you believe that upselling is a pushy form of customer service, just imagine how that customer will feel if he returns home and realizes he forgot to buy brushes.
  5. One more question. Don’t assume that the customer has only come to your place of business for one reason alone. Ask if there is anything else that the customer needs—it could be related to the purchase(s) you have already discussed or something completely different. If the answer is “yes,” begin the steps again to make sure the customer goes home with all needed items.
 
And I’d like to add No. 5½, Say thanks. Offer a sincere “Thank You!” This expression of gratitude will leave the customer with a lasting, positive final impression. It is at least as important, if not more so, than the first impression.
 
Ultimately, though we are discussing selling tactics, the message here is about engagement. Specifically, how to use customer service strategies to actively engage with the customer during the actual selling process. Hire the right people for the job—selling and serving the customer—and train and motivate them to engage with each customer to provide an amazing customer service experience.

Filed Under: Customer Service Tagged With: Customer Experience, Customer Service, Engagement, Sales Strategies, Shep Hyken, Training

Shep Hyken

Shep Hyken

Shep Hyken is a customer experience expert and the Chief Amazement Officer of Shepard Presentations. He is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and has been inducted into the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement in the speaking profession. Shep works with companies and organizations who want to build loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more articles on customer service and business go to http://www.hyken.com.

Related Posts

  • 5 Employee Training Programs That Will Change Your Mindset
  • Importance Of Training: Why You Should Invest In Employee Development
  • Good Training Saves Time & Money When You Have Big Goals

Primary Sidebar

Random

You Need to Understand the Business Principle of Displacement

May 31, 2016 By Tim Berry

9 Analytics Considerations for Redesigning Your Website

May 17, 2018 By SEER Interactive

How to Migrate Other Types of IMAP Mailboxes to Microsoft 365 or Office 365

Feb 11, 2022 By SmallBizClub

Mindfulness in Business

Dec 2, 2015 By Jerry Osteryoung

5 Tactics to Emerge as Business Leader

Mar 20, 2015 By SmallBizClub

Footer

About Us

Small Biz Club is the premier destination for small business owners and entrepreneurs. To succeed in business, you have to constantly learn about new things, evaluate what you’re doing, and look for ways to improve—that’s what we’re here to help you do.

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2022 by Tarkenton Institute, Inc. All Rights Reserved | Terms | Privacy