Your ice cream sundae

There is one time above all others that you have the undivided attention of your customer. And that is the moment they purchases from you and gets their hands on your product or service.

Let’s say, for example, that your business delivers products using snail mail or a courier. The customer is typically waiting to take delivery of the product and may even be excited to open the package.

Apart from the product, what do they find inside? A crumpled invoice perhaps? Maybe even nothing at all?

If your business operates this way then you are missing a golden opportunity to engage with the customer at the time they are most attentive to your message.

So what can you include in your next package?

How about a hand signed letter thanking the customer for their purchase and welcoming them to the business?

Better yet, how about also including a one-time irresistible offer for one of your related products? Technically known as up-sells or cross-sells, these offers are proven to yield fabulous conversion rates and will bring additional revenue into your business for the cost of a few pages printed on your office printer.

And if your business sells products or services face to face then this strategy will be even more powerful – because you can make a similar offer in a much more personal and engaging way. What’s more, you can do it at the exact moment your customer has committed to buy from you and is reaching into their wallet for their credit card.

If you are wondering whether this strategy works in the real world – spend a few minutes in McDonalds and tally up the conversion rates when the sales assistant asks “Would you like an ice cream sundae with your meal for an extra 50 cents?”

So, what’s your ice cream sundae?