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Auction Sales - Keeping Customers You Worked So Hard To Get!


If you've studied business concepts you know that finding a customer can be the most expensive part of the sales process. Once you've got a customer why not maximize the money you've already invested in the effort?

This time honored business concept certainly falls under the category of going the extra mile for a customer. Assuming your product, customer service, packaging and shipping all work together to create a positive feedback posting, here are a few simple ideas companies have been utilizing for years to help them stand out from the crowd and maximize the return on sales dollars:

? A personalized thank you

? A drop in

? A thank you gift

Personalized Thank You

Every package you send to a customer should include a personalized thank you letter. Personalized means there is a salutary greeting such as "Dear Customer Name" and your personalized signature. Why personalized? Ever hear the old sales adage, "Don't sell the product - sell the person?" It's taught to sales professionals because it works. A friendly thank you note near the end of a good transaction (more on this later) reminds the buyer they are thought of as a person, not just another sale or number. A personalized touch in today's impersonal marketplace is very refreshing.

The body copy of the note or letter is certainly up you but should be as specific to the transaction as possible (if you also include a packing slip/invoice the letter can be a little more generic). The goal of the note is to let the customer know they, and the sale, are important to you. Here's a short example:

Dear (Customer Name):

I just wanted to personally thank you for your winning bid on our (product name), Item #11111111111, enclosed. Our customers are very important to us. We realize you have a choice in selecting who you buy from and we greatly appreciate your business - now and in future.

Sincerely,

(Your Signature)

Drop-ins and gifts

A drop-in or gift provide extra chances to say thank you, create customer loyalty, increase future sales, and maximize your return on the investment of finding your customers. As an example let's say you're selling pet supplies. For a few pennies each you can have refrigerator magnets printed like business cards that include your company name, email, eBay store, or website address. They can be as simple or complex as you can afford but only need to include something like:

Acme Pet Supplies (Your company name)

For All Your Pet's Needs (A marketing line is a good idea)

Your Website Address (Either a link to your website or auctions)

Other inexpensive drop-ins and gifts could be something as simple as a business card, a sales sheet listing all the product types you carry, a gift certificate (to be used on your e-commerce website) for a future purchase, or an offer for your free newsletter. If you're selling kitchen products you could include your favorite recipe, or if you're selling poker supplies - a print out of the best starting hands might be nice.

Closing the Sales Cycle

Do you remember my comment earlier when I mentioned "near the end of a good transaction"? If you consider sending the product (with a thank you note, drop-in or gift) the end of the sales process you are missing another great opportunity to increase sales and improve you customer relations. Don't consider the sales process completed until you send your valued customer one more email. About a week or ten days after shipping the product, send a follow-up email such as:

Dear Customer Name (again, make it as personal as possible):

Just wanted to follow up on our transaction and make sure everything went smoothly for you. We trust everything went well but if you had any problems please let us know. We are always looking for ways to improve our service and your input is very important to us. We will post positive feedback for you and hope you'll do the same for us. We look forward to doing business with you again in the future.

Thanks again,

Your Name

(Suggestion: To avoid spam filters, in the subject line of your email include the eBay or auction item name and number)

Are the efforts to include a note, a drop-in, a gift, and do follow-ups a little more work and expense? Of course, but with the aid of simple automation packages on your computer the follow-ups can be somewhat automated and the drop-in or gift will help you create a returning customer.

Copyright © Steven Woodward - All Rights Reserved

About the Author:

Steven Woodward is the owner, editor and publisher of the Auction Sellers Network (ASN); a web site for individuals and companies who are serious about utilizing the online auction marketplace for their business. In addition to topical articles, ASN provides an extensive resource center, news feeds, member forums and classified ads. For more information or to become a member visit http://www.AuctionSellersNetwork.com

No permission is needed to reproduce an unedited copy of this article as long the About the Author tag is left intact and included. We do request that we be informed where it is posted and reciprocal links will be considered.


MORE RESOURCES:

Auctions - Google News

Will they or won't they? - Sydney Morning Herald


Will they or won't they?
Sydney Morning Herald
The clearance rate was 58 per cent for the 101 auction results reported to the Real Estate Institute of Victoria. The outcome of another 36 sales is still unknown. Many commentators are tipping the RBA will cut rates by 0.25 percentage points.

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Market middle ground proving elusive - Sydney Morning Herald


Sydney Morning Herald

Market middle ground proving elusive
Sydney Morning Herald
Real Estate Institute of Victoria spokesman Robert Larocca said the level of new stock coming onto the market for February was surprisingly high. ''We've got 10-15 per cent increases in stock levels for the first few weeks of February compared with ...

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Got $1.8M? This Harrison estate is up for auction - The Journal News | LoHud.com


Got $1.8M? This Harrison estate is up for auction
The Journal News | LoHud.com
Its owner — international real estate developer Neill Bernstein, dubbed “Cape Town's Donald Trump” — has lived there for several years but now is returning home to South Africa. Misha Haghani, founder of Paramount Realty USA, is handling the auction ...

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Tucson resort avoids auction block, for now - Arizona Daily Star


Tucson resort avoids auction block, for now
Arizona Daily Star
Starr Pass Resort Developments, the owner, took on the debt before the real estate bubble burst and the property, which opened in 2005, was only just getting its footing when business and leisure travel screeched to a near halt.

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Fannie Mae's Fire Sale - Barron's


Credit Union Times

Fannie Mae's Fire Sale
Barron's
How to buy a cut-rate rental property. Fire sale! The Federal Housing Finance Agency has approved a big residential real-estate auction at Fannie Mae to help the mortgage giant unload its inventory of 122616 foreclosed houses. For the first time, ...
Tales from the Field: A Homeowner Who Fought Foreclosure and WonRisMedia.com (press release)

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Concierge Auctions to Sell Premier Residences at Auction Within Exclusive ... - MarketWatch (press release)


Concierge Auctions to Sell Premier Residences at Auction Within Exclusive ...
MarketWatch (press release)
The auction will be conducted in cooperation with Rivers To Peaks Real Estate ~ Big Sky Real Estate. "The seller developed these idyllic vacation homes ideally situated in the heart of the most luxurious amenities these communities offer," stated ...

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Gold Coast back on the road to paradise - The Australian


Gold Coast back on the road to paradise
The Australian
It was - as she told her children - excellent shopping when the biggest single auction of real estate nationally was held on the Gold Coast last weekend. And the buyers, many of whom had flown in from interstate, were out in force picking up properties ...

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Yarmouth Route 28 motels sold at auction - Wicked Local


Yarmouth Route 28 motels sold at auction
Wicked Local
The twice-postponed auctions drew a mixed crowd of lawyers, real estate brokers, neighbors and a town planning board member. The motels have been the focus of a civil lawsuit for more than a year. The town sued the motels' former owner for violating ...

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JP King to Serve on Panels at Upcoming Conferences for Financial Solutions ... - MarketWatch (press release)


JP King to Serve on Panels at Upcoming Conferences for Financial Solutions ...
MarketWatch (press release)
Being the nation's oldest real estate auction marketing firm, JP King is frequently requested for speaking engagements and has accepted several of those opportunities in the coming weeks, the first of which begins today. "When I first came into the ...

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Concierge Auctions, the Nation's Premier Luxury Real Estate Auction Firm ... - MarketWatch (press release)


Concierge Auctions, the Nation's Premier Luxury Real Estate Auction Firm ...
MarketWatch (press release)
24, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Concierge Auctions, the nation's preeminent luxury real estate auction firm, auctioned high-end properties throughout 15 states in 2011. The year proved successful for the NYC-based company, as the firm produced a ...

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