After a sale is made, post-sales processes kick in to fulfill the customer’s expectations and strengthen the relationship. This can include a range of activities, such as delivering the product or service, following up with the customer to ensure their satisfaction, and implementing marketing and sales strategies to retain the customer and potentially upsell in the future. Post-sales efforts are crucial for maintaining a positive reputation and fostering long-term customer loyalty.
Order Fulfillment
Delivering products and/or activating services. In many cases, a salesperson acts as a single point of contact for order delivery.
Billing & Collections
Billing the customer for orders and collecting revenue.
Cancellation & Changes
The process of configuring, changing or canceling an order. In many cases, a customer has a right to cancel an order for a period of time after a sale is completed. This is a delicate time that requires careful relationship management.
Returns
Processing return requests and the reverse logistics required to accept a return.
Complaints
Handling customer complaints including feedback that flows to you and posts to review sites and social media. For example, a fashion company that offers to replace a shirt for free with a different size when a customer complains in a review that the shirt doesn’t fit. The customer will then be likely to update their review to indicate they received a more satisfactory item.
Support
Providing support to help the customer get the most out of their purchase. This may include a number a customer can call and a website that provides information and tools.
Service Delivery
The day-do-day process of delivering a service. For example, the process of providing a software platform for customers.
Incident Management
Incident management is a component of service delivery that involves investigating and resolving issues with a service. It is common for salespeople to be involved in this process for high value accounts. For example, a business customer that is playing a million dollars a month to a telecom provider will expect their sales representative to be on top of any problems with the service.
Relationship Management
The general process of building and sustaining the relationship with the customer. For example, a salesperson who calls a customer to offer them tickets to an industry conference to build out a relationship.
Upselling & Cross Selling
The ongoing process of convincing a customer to upgrade or make new purchases.
Customer Referrals
Encouraging satisfied customers to refer business to you such as parent companies, sister companies, partners, friends and family.
Maintenance & Supplies
The delivery of maintenance services and supplies.
End-of-life
Helping a customer deal with the end-of-support and end-of-life of products and services.
