“Selling a car to someone is not hard, getting them to come back years from now and buy a second one is the challenge.”
– Employee at Bluekens, Roosendaal.

This is a quote I’ve heard a few times when I went along with my parents when they were getting a new car throughout the past fifteen years. Over the last years I learnt that the man who told me this taught me a very important marketing rule: once you’ve got the sale, your work has only just begun.

Colin Shaw (2013) noted that it costs a company, on average, six to seven times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one.  Therefore, companies can save a lot of money by creating an experience that makes customers want to come back and tell others about your company. The post-purchase period is an important point in the customer’s journey and is just as important, if not more important, than the actual sale. As an illustration, Marketing Metrics found that the probability of selling a product to an existing client lies between sixty to seventy percent, whereas the probability of selling a product to a new client lies between five to twenty percent.

As there are many methods of post purchase engagement, I will take a look at post-purchase e-mails in this post. When used correctly, these e-mails will create a better consumer experience, resulting in a stronger customer loyalty. This will lead to a positive word of mouth which may refer new clients to you. Furthermore, it may lead to more repeated purchases and, most importantly, establish a strong connection between customers and your brand. So, what would these e-mails require in terms of content?

1. Order confirmation, tracking and support.
First of all, it is important to give your customer the security that the order was successfully processed. An example of such an e-mail can be seen in the picture below. When Bed, Bath and Beyond receives an order through their website, the e-mail that is sent contains a simple statement regarding the confirmation of your order and the tracking information.

2. Discount offers to incentivize future purchases.
Other than experiencing a good post-consumption process, consumers may need an extra incentive to make a future purchase. By sending discount offers days after someone made a purchase, you might trigger a new purchase. Take for example Pottery Barn. About a week after making a purchase at Pottery Barn, customers receive a mail with a code to get free shipping on a future purchase. As consumers have enjoyed a good experience, this discount is the icing on the cake to let them make another purchase.

3. Thank your customers
Make your customers feel appreciated. A thank you page after an order is not enough, as they may feel everyone can see this. When dedicated in a mail, consumers may feel more personally engaged, which will increase their post-purchase experience.

I believe these companies show great examples of ensuring consumers enjoy a positive post-purchase experience. Although each of these suggestions contain only small things, I do believe they have a huge impact on how a consumer experiences a purchase. Remember, the purchase of a product is not the end of a relationship with a customer, it is merely the beginning.

Sources:
http://www.brimagency.com/blog/how-to-retain-more-customers-through-post-purchase-engagement/

http://blog.klaviyo.com/2014/10/16/8-essential-practices-for-a-winning-post-purchase-email/

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20130604134550-284615-15-statistics-that-should-change-the-business-world-but-haven-t

On April 6, 2010 Xiaomi Corporation was founded: a mobile internet company focused on the research and development of high-end smartphones. However, the fans (i.e. customers) of the Xiaomi Corporation play a very important role in the company’s development. They are the core value of Xiaomi. Xiaomi interacts with fans in multiple ways.

As they are focused on the Chinese market, they developed an interface that makes it much easier to use their smartphones for Chinese users. Furthermore, they update their software on a weekly basis at the best possible price. However, the part of their strategy I would like to emphasize is the treatment of their customers. Xiaomi acknowledges all feedback with gratitude. The founder and company executives spend time on social media every day to personally interact with the customers (usually over 100 comments on a daily basis). Xiaomi adds functionalities based on the feedback they receive from their customers. Feedback regarding modifications can be about anything: shape and color of the phone, the quality of the camera, but also modifications such as delivery speed and the ease of the ordering process.

On top of the integration of their customers in the developments of their products, Xiaomi classifies fans in grades in terms of participation, number of comments and level of importance of services provided to other fans. These grades grant fans different permissions and incentives. Users with high grades are often asked to try out new products. Some have even been recruited by Xiaomi to work for them full time. The grades in turn motivate customers to participate actively in the Xiaomi community. Fans often help each other out with problems, which has resulted in the establishment of a large community.

Another thing Xiaomi Corporation does to show fans how important they are, is organizing various gatherings for Xiaomi fans. Think of fan festivals and reunions in cities, where fans can meet and share experiences. The highlight every year is the fan festival. As part of the program, Lei Jun (the founder of Xiaomi) reports the latest results and activities of the company, and he introduces new products. Furthermore, those users that have contributed the most throughout the year receive ‘the best feedback gift’. The reunions in cities are usually organized by fans, however, Xiaomi Corporation provides the venue and gifts in support of the reunion. Fans can select their location and the corporation will pay for it (if the idea is approved of course).

Xiaomi offers customers to provide them feedback and helps them customize the products to match their needs. For example, one user mentioned he wanted to record the times at which he answered the phone, so a few weeks later this functionality was provided.

Through the customer involvement, Xiaomi has created a community in which their customers are the key factor to success. I believe that Xiaomi involves their customers in an excellent way. The products are adjusted to their needs, resulting in very satisfied customers, as they receive exactly those products they want. This story is a great example of the two-sided positive effects good customer involvement can lead towards.

Sources:
Shih, C., Lin, T.M.Y., Luarn, P. Fan-centric social media: The Xiaomi phenomenon in China, Business Horizons, Vol. 57, pp 349-358

http://www.visionmobile.com/blog/2015/01/xiaomi-is-not-what-you-think-it-is/

http://entrepreneurs-innovation.com/tag/xiaomi/