Sales

• Sales Process


  Involves a series of steps taken from when the potential buyer meets the prospective seller until after the final sale is made
• Customer Service


  Involves the interaction between the business and the customer in which the business understands consumer needs before, during and after the sale of a good or service
• Positive reactions to customer service

  • Provides benefits for the business in relation to reputation and future sales
• Benefits of good customer service


  • Increased customer loyalty
  • Increased customer spend
  • A good reputation
  • Attracting new customers
• Good customer service


  Leads to increased sales revenue, higher market share and increased profits
• Poor customer service


  Leads to dissatisfied customers who may not return to the business, affecting revenue and profits, and difficulty attracting new customers
• Features of customer service


  • Greeting the customer
  • Interacting with the customer
  • Identifying customer needs and wants
  • Encouraging feedback from the customer
  • Responding to feedback
• Customer Engagement


  Occurs when the business and the customers communicate through the sales process
• Feedback


  The response by a customer following the purchase of a good or service, used by the producer to improve what has been produced
• After-sales Service


  The meeting of customers' needs after they have purchased a product – for example, by repairing or servicing the product
• Online Customer Service


  When buying online a customer will still expect a certain level of customer service and a business will have to adapt the features of good customer service to their website
• Ways to provide online customer service


  • Website design ensuring it is easy to use, offers search facilities, details of the product, customer reviews, live chats with customer service agents
  • Data analysis of the customer to monitor browsing and purchasing history, recommend particular products, tailor their advertising
• Customer Loyalty


  Means that a business' customers make repeat purchases because they prefer the business' products to those of its rivals
• Premises


  Buildings used by businesses – these may include offices, shops and factories