Outshinery recently hosted an exciting live webinar, offering a look at what customers expect and how you can offer that. With a panel of experts that have worked in this field extensively, here is what you should know about how to think like a customer and how to give them what they want.
The panel included:
Seb from Troly.
Laurie from Outshinery.
David from Bottlebooks.
Nick from Wine Owners.
In Short, What Do Customers Want?
“A confident and enticing shopping experience.” ~ Laurie
“Experiences, relationships, Information, Something Deeper.” ~ David
“Great products.” ~ Nick
“Personalization, Experience, Story and Transparency, Authenticity, and Uniqueness.” ~ Seb
What Should You Be Doing as a Business?
We tested it with wineries around the world, and we found that if there are seven different touchpoints throughout their transaction, there is a 28% increase in repeat sales.
Seb says:
Map out your customer’s journey so you can see exactly how they experience a purchasing experience. During these steps, write down individual touchpoints and the quality of the touchpoints throughout the shopping experience.
There are so many opportunities throughout this process that you can cement a relationship with your customers. You have to add personalized touchpoints, like “Hey James, your order is packed and on its way, happy days!” And the reason is simple: all these little touchpoints have a direct and significant impact on repeat sales.
We tested it with wineries around the world, and we found that if there are seven different touchpoints throughout their transaction, there is a 28% increase in repeat sales.
Laurie Says:
Pay attention to what people are doing in your industry, but also look at companies in other niches. Borrow from other industries and see how they communicate with other customers. Also, be curious as an individual and as a customer and see what influences your own personal buying experience.
I buy cat litter online, and it is an incredible experience. I can’t remember when last I have walked into a store and purchased cat litter because of this experience I have with the company I currently buy from. And I mean, we’re talking about cat litter! I know precisely when it is packed and shipped, and I am even reminded when I might be out of cat litter. That’s the type of experience you should be offering your clients, no matter what you’re selling!
How Can a Business Stand Out, Especially this Holiday Season?
We are underestimating the power of referrals. Why don’t we try to lean on our customers to buy from us for their friends and family?
David Says:
Don’t downplay your partners and other businesses that stock your product. Give them everything they need to sell your product efficiently. Take care of these partners and your relationship with them. So whether these are restaurants or retailers, treat them like ambassadors and give them what they need to aid your sales.
Seb Says:
We are underestimating the power of referrals. Why don’t we try to lean on our customers to buy from us for their friends and family? Many won’t be able to spend the festive season with their families, so why not get them to buy and ship gifts to them?
So you have to make use of these referrals and reintroduce your brand to these customers without being too salesy.
How Can Small Businesses Build on Future Relationships with Customers Who Know Their Brand and Products?
Laurie Says:
When people are physically buying your product, don’t let them leave without finding a way to communicate with them in the future and remind them about your business.
This is the perfect opportunity to lean on technology. Gone are the days that you have a generic menu that says “sign up to our newsletter” or “follow us on Instagram.” I mean, if you really think like a customer, consider when last you just randomly signed up to a newsletter because some pamphlet asked you to?
Instead, find a hook for people to give you their contact information. You have to incentivise it and provide them with something in return. So, for instance, you can let them know that you have some incredible recipes for them to try with your product, and they can access it by giving you their e-mail address.
Or let them know that you frequently have unique offerings of certain products that are only available to those who have signed up to your e-mail list.
Seb Says:
Customers are being flooded with thousands of products from all directions on a daily basis. What you want to do, is push through with a strong brand image.
Find our Panelists:
Book a chat with David at BottleBooks by vising bottlebooks.me if you have wine data and have trouble managing it.
Laurie is available at Outshinery.com, where you are able to see examples of your beautiful bottle images for free.
You can find Nick and his team Wine Owners team at business.wineowners.com, where they provide the basis for wine retail and distribution to become more efficient and grow their business.
Troly.co is offering a 30 Day free trial, and there is no doubt that they will blow your mind with how scalable personalized e-mail and SMS can be.
If you want to know more about sales, distribution and other ways to think like a customer, sign up for Troly’s free trial and take your small business to another level.
