An often overlooked, and vitally important fact about business, is that the relationship you have with your customer does not end after they sign on the dotted line. In fact, communication with your client after a sale may be just as important, if not more so, than the marketing, explanations, or negotiations leading up to a sale. By offering training opportunities and sustained resources to your existing customers, you incentivize loyal purchasers, generate positive referrals, and can actually help your business growth.
Training Results in a Stronger Customer Experience
Whether you’re selling a single device, an intricate equipment system, or access to new software, it’s absolutely essential that your customer knows how to use the product. If they don’t, the shortfalls and errors from engaging with a product incorrectly could lead to wasted money, angry clients, bad testimonials, missed future sales, and ruined customer relationships. At the least, your customers may become frustrated and go elsewhere, and at the worst, they may break the product, endanger their safety, or even pursue lawsuits. You could do irreparable damage to your business and bottom line without a strategy for after the sale, and customer training must be a part of that.
Customer experiences matter both during and after the onboarding journey. Offering training resources directly to your customers can provide them with the tools they need to continue having an amazing experience, even if they’re new to the product, develop questions, or encounter issues well past the sale date. A sustained positive experience will result in glowing testimonials, frequent referrals, and, of course, more sales.
Training Options for your Customers
There is no single route you have to use when it comes to training, so here are a few recommended training options for a strong customer experience after the sale; how you use each depends on your business, product, goals, and customers.
Manuals
No matter what type of product you sell, you should absolutely include a professionally-developed manual. This documentation will help when your client has a question about a certain function or a problem with the product by giving them immediate access to the answer and information they need. Manuals should cover your product’s functions, capabilities, use, safety, and any other information your customer needs to get the most out of their investment. It also protects your company legally by clarifying what to do and what not to do with your product.
Product manuals must be intentionally designed and developed based on the subjects and client base that will be using them. Each guiding direction should be carefully researched and written for optimum clarity. You want to be sure you’re writing for an everyday user, which means avoiding industry jargon, details that do not add value, and making it easy for your audience to follow every step.
Customer Training Sessions
One way to verify that your customer knows how to use the product is through a training session (or a series of several sessions). You may want your sales personnel to be able to train their customers, or you may have a dedicated employee or team who trains each of your clients. Whichever one you opt for, they shouldn’t wing the sessions; it is essential that trainers use realistic, measurable, and standardized learning outcomes to build competence.
Each session needs to be documented and have a researched strategy that helps first cover the basics, then more advanced properties of your products, and includes time to go over any questions or concerns your customers may have. Your employees should be well versed in the product, its uses, and safety protocols, while also knowing exactly how to approach the clients professionally during these allotted time periods.
Ongoing Customer Support
Another option for your after-sale customer experience is ongoing customer support. This could be conducting additional training sessions by request, or simply a number they can call if they have problems, technical questions, or concerns.
This means your customer support team should also be trained in the product and be able to answer most of your clients’ questions. One of the major reasons clients go elsewhere is because customer service was unable to assist them. Having the right strategy here will make a difference for your customer experience, company reputation, and future sales potential.
Supporting Your Business
You can’t abandon and forget your customer base after a sale if you want your business to continue growing. Offering tools like training opportunities, product manuals, and knowledgeable customer support will ensure your clients know exactly how to make the most of your product. Failure to do so will achieve nothing more than bad ratings and lost sales for your company.
Are your products lacking post-sale support? Your clients could be missing out on key features of your software, device, or other product, and even using them incorrectly. Our professional technical writers and trainers can help ensure your business has these essential materials that cover what your products and customers require for an outstanding customer experience.
