Post-Sale Marketing: Building a Business Family

Stay In Touch With Customers AFTER The Sale

Many dispensing audiologists and hearing aid practitioners figure that once the patient has been connected to the right device, properly tuned to test specs, their jobs are finished. And, in a sense they are finished – they have a happy customer.

However, once that customer leaves the store, pruned and tuned, the smart hearing aid professional should use collected data to stay in touch with customers wearing their hearing aids.

Why? Well, for one thing, you can. An email to a client or customer is legitimate and NOT spam. A direct mailer piece is going to your “Golden List,” those buyers who are happy with the services you provided and the concern you showed – and continue to show.

More often than not, hearing aid wearers buy up once their first pair starts to lose its appeal and functionality. Through post sale advertising, those buyers will return to your retail outlet and require more of your professional services.

Staying in touch is an on-going part of building a stable client base, the foundation of any successful business. It is always easier to maintain a client than it is to find a new one, so once you’ve established a relationship with a satisfied customer, maintain a relationship.

But don’t be a pest.

Data Harvesting

During the in-take process gather all of the information required to stay in touch with your buyers including:

• full name
• snail mail address
• email address
• telephone number
• next of kin or caretaker information w/address

Using this data, you can quickly build an automated system to stay in touch with your expanding client base by offering special products and services through a number of communications portals.

Auto-responders

It’s important to get an email address during the in-take. This can be used to deliver auto-responders, or ARs. These can be automated for delivery every day, week, month or to be delivered on a specific date – the date of the client’s next appointment, for example.

Now, people hate this stuff in their email inboxes. I know I do and I usually delete it without even opening it because I know it’s going to be another sales pitch.

To get your ARs opened and read, provide useful information in each one. It doesn’t have to be anything big. A couple of tips on ear hygiene, a notification of a free seminar or some information on a newly-introduced hearing aid from your primary manufacturer.

If the content is actually interesting, and if it provides useful information, your ARs won’t end up in the recycling bin unopened.

However, don’t hound, nag, annoy or even irk. If you’re hearing aid outlet is spamming my inbox everyday, I’m going to get annoyed. Be sure to include an “Opt-Out” option with every AR – a “Click here to stop receiving these hearing tips” link. That’s how the AR game is played these days, fairly and as it should be. Don’t be surprised if a number of AR recipients opt out. But don’t be surprised at the number who tacitly “opt in” by not clicking the “stop sending” link. They like your emails. They’re interested..

At the very least, program an AR to go out a couple of weeks before a regular hearing evaluation. This way, you’ll see a lot fewer cancellations and a lot more ears in the store.

Direct Mail

You can buy a mailing list but, if you’ve been collecting home addresses of hearing aid wearers, family members and caregivers, your database is a gold mine. These are people who know you, your professionalism, your after-care, your integrity and your involvement in the well-being of the patient.

A simple post card reminder of an up-coming hearing evaluation is all that’s needed. You can also use direct mail to introduce new products, new features and new services. For example, many independent hearing aid retailers now offer free after care for life. Actually, it’s a no-brainer if you ask me.

My clientele routinely stop in for a free battery swap or a quick cleaning and tuning. No charge. Why? Well, first I want what’s best for my customers before, during and after the sale. And second, I want to build a family of clients. I want my clients to feel welcome in my outlet.

So, I use direct mail to introduce something special – a coupon, a free hearing evaluation, a free talk – something that benefits my clients first and my business second. And the mailing list is sitting right there on my hard drive.

The Telephone

I never use the telephone as a sales tool. I think it’s intrusive and actually annoys people so much that they’ll drive 20 miles out of their ways just to AVOID you and your annoying sales calls.

However, the telephone is the only way to confirm appointments, announce a new free service or just to see how the transition period is going after the sale. Most of us know that there’s a period of adjustment that most people go through when they purchase a hearing aid.

A call or two during the first 30 days isn’t intrusive. It shows you care, as well you should. So, use the telephone to check in on clients, to give them a heads-up on appointments and to let them know that they’re due to make an appointment for a tune-up and let it go at that. In other words, don’t use the telephone as a promotional tool. Use it for business matters and to check up on clients only.

Using the information stored in your data base, you can quickly demonstrate your commitment to good hearing health while keeping your business’ name in front of the recent client.

This also does wonders for spreading positive word of mouth, so keep your company or practice close to the client at all times through post-sale marketing.

But remember, use discretion and whatever you do, don’t be a pest.