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Who doesn’t love the holiday season? Retail sales are through the roof with current customers turning to their well-known brands and shops when purchasing presents and new customers are on the lookout for a great new store. The key though, is not just settling for increased sales during the holiday but turning first-time buyers into lifelong customers. But what does it take to do that?

It all starts with listening: 

You’re busy keeping things moving, whether it’s hiring new staff, organising deliveries, updating your website or balancing the books, you may be so busy, in fact that you’re forgetting the most important piece of the puzzle: the customer.  Customers are in desperate need of assistance this holiday season. They are shelling out their hard-earned cash to purchase something for someone else. They don’t have the confidence that they’ll love it and that’s where you come in.

Your customers are going to have a lot of questions and they’re going to ask them via many different platforms including, in person, social media, on your website, on your blog, via email or over the phone. The first step in turning these first-time buyers into customers is just listening to their questions and providing them with an honest answer.

Inform them.

Sometimes people are actually too busy to take the time to ask the questions.  This is when it’s time for you to go ahead and inform them without their asking. What do we mean by that? Post informative blogs, how to videos, shopping lists, whatever it is that may help them before and after their purchase.

Prepare for returns.

No one gets excited about potential returns however they are going to happen.  Maybe the buyer bought the wrong size, maybe the gift didn’t go over as well as they’d hoped-whatever the reason, returns do happen so it’s important to be prepared for them when they do.

The key here is to listen to the reason for the return, try to provide a solution, ask for more information and be as helpful and understanding as possible.

Keep in touch:

Now that the purchase has been made and the window for returns is starting to close, it’s important that you keep in touch with your potential clients.  Try segmenting your database so you can send useful communication with your new customers.  It’s essential to keep them engaged and ensure they feel a part of your family. This will help keep your business top of mind for any future purchases.