Live-Chat now available on True Traders’ Websites !

So Live Chat has joined the 7 niche websites of True Traders, trying to promote more efficient mediums of contact between customers and sales reps.
Live chat has been viewed in positive lights across e-commerce business’s proving to be more convenient for customers and Sales Operatives.

“Many on-line consumers want help from a live person while they are shopping on-line; in fact, 44% of on-line consumers say that having questions answered by a live person while in the middle of an on-line purchase is one of the most important features a Web site can offer.”
– “Making Proactive Chat Work” study Conducted by  Forrester Research

So if you need help but don’t fancy picking up the telephone or emailing, or just need answers quick; pop up on our live chat system and we’ll be happy to help.

At True Traders we have a constant vision to better our shopping experience for our customers. Live Chat is just one of the new features we plan on introducing to our e-commerce sites, so watch this space for more info and updates from the TTteam 🙂

Tyee
xox

 

Is your Customer Service the best it could be ?

Customer service plays a key part in the well-oiled machine of any retail organisation.

Your stock may be a plenty; but if your sales staff aren’t up to scratch you’ll never retain the customers or push those products.

The main issue when it comes to customer service is that agents are less inclined to go the extra mile for customers if it inconveniences them. However it is a well-known fact that customers are unlikely to return to a company after experiencing poor customer service.
In fact a whopping 89% of consumers have gone else-where after experiencing poor service. It all adds up; poor service + no sales = failing business.

Dominic Gilham – Sales Advisor at True Traders

If you’d like to prevent this from happening maybe you need to have a look at the following with your customer service team.

1. Tone 
2. Form 
3. Response

Tone
The tone in which you address customers must be upbeat and polite no-one likes to listen to a mumbling robot or a rude answer to a legit question. Flip it on its head and consider; how would you like to be addressed if you were to contact someone for help? You’d be looking for a helpful response right?

Form
The form in which you speak to customers really does effect the conversation. If a customer politely asks you a question and you informally reply with “yeah what-evs “; I would definitely expect a shirty response and that customer is unlikely to return and buy again.

You can of course change your form it doesn’t always have to be as though you’re addressing the Queen. Match the form of your customer (to an extent) this is a key in building relationships and trust with your customers. If you’ve got a bit of an Essex-geezer you can have a bit of Banter; if you’ve got someone who sounds as though they eat sunshine and rainbows for breakfast, then react in the same manner, as you’ll be connecting with your customers on a personal level, and thus get more out of the conversation for both you and your customer.

Response
Customers are after as much information as possible without being on the phone for ages. So be direct and efficient in your answers and try apply your products to their situation; not only will they be able to understand your explanations more but by relating to the customers you’re more likely to get a better sale; as they would realise you are giving them valuable advice and you could even increase your sale by offering further products.

• It’s difficult within a 5 minute phone call to be able to grow a relationship with your customers. Obtain their trust with your answers. And build your sales with that relationship.
• The key is to respond in a friendly non-robotic manner. Customers hate scripts as it doesn’t feel personal enough and is off-putting.
• If YOU can’t help them find some-one who can, you don’t want to sound like you don’t have a clue as it reflects badly on your business.

Tyee xox
t.reed@truetraders.co.uk

Are you going about Social Networking the wrong way?

So recently I went to a session, to better yourself at on-line networking and found I was going about it completely the wrong way. If you’re a bit of a techno-phobe; don’t really get the whole social networking thing or your just not getting the results from your content…then have a read.

See if you can apply it to your business!

So the 3 stages of Social Networking:

1. Engage your audience
2. Promote your company
3. Keep up relations.

So if you’ve just started to branch out into social networking then you shouldn’t promote yourself to start. Unless you’re a BIG, well named brand that everyone already recognises and shares everything you post.

And it’s not all about competitions and give-aways. Your audience is just going to be after free things and have no interest in your business if you don’t interest them first. That all comes in the latter part of social networking.

The initial start is to Engage your audience.
Start with sharing and updating your sites with trending topics.

This could be:

• Industry news (relating to your business)
• Products News (new products or services)
• How-to Articles (everyone asks the internet for help now-a-days)
• Case studies (things going on in your company or topics you think your audience will like)
• Or Frequently asked questions by customers (makes great article topics).

Get a good following (or fan base) before you start promoting yourself. You want to have that trust between you and your followers and get them interested in what you post. Otherwise, your promoting will just go straight out the window.
Obtain authority (more followers than following) before you branch out into talking-up your business.

Authority- To obtain Authority is where your shares, likes and re-tweets come in. Once your content is being shared, liked and re-tweeted, left, right and centre; should you then start to advertise yourself. If you have the upper hand then your audience is going to be more interested in what you have to say.

Relating – relate current stories to what your business is about. Not only will potential customers see the relativity but so will future suppliers, investors and other similar companies. You want to be considered competition right?
For example, if you are a Retail company you want to talk about – Rising costs or new technology to your industry things that are relevant to the kind of audience you want to attract.

Writing Your own Original Content!

When it comes to writing your own engaging content that relates more to your business than an external 3^rd party article; there are 3 simple stages.

1. Dump it
2. Chunk it
3. And Shine it

You can’t be expected to right a top-notch article from the get go?

So slam your thoughts into word!
Separate it to add your flow!
And then polish it up for publishing.

Simple.
Hey I just did it……:)

TIP:
Also just a tip, don’t write long laborious paragraphs try stick to a maximum of 2 or 3 sentences a paragraph. We live in a world of skim-readers now and unfortunately no matter how good or informative your content…People will shy away from big, bulky paragraphs.

So…..Remember:

• Short and Snappy
• Include interesting bullet points (gives people the incentive to read on)
• And keep your info/answers brief

I Hope this was helpful. Any questions or advice, email me.

t.reed@truetraders.co.uk