Do you want to increase your e-commerce sales by up to 35%? Brands like Lucchese Boots are doing just that, using an old-school marketing strategy in a brand-new way.
Clienteling is a marketing technique used by retail workers to establish long-term relationships with key customers. Sales associates would greet customers by name, know their likes and dislikes, and keep that information on note cards.
Now that the world has moved online, clienteling has taken on a new meaning. It follows many of the established marketing strategies but provides sales associates access to customer data with preferences, online behavior, and purchase information. This new version of clienteling uses digital channels such as live video, messaging, and e-mail to engage customers outside the physical store, humanizing the online shopping experience.
Here are five ways online clienteling is helping brands boost sales.
- Answer Queries with Live Video Shopping – Customers will buy more if given helpful, timely advice. Live shopping uses video, similar to Facetime, to bridge the gap between the physical store and the online experience, giving customers the support they need to make purchases. Associates can drop in during an online session or pre-schedule a live video session to answer customers' questions. It provides an opportunity for sales to present alternative products or upsell with related poducts. For example, if a customer has an inquiry about a handbag, the sales associate can also show them the matching belt, jacket, and shoes.
- Scheduled Shoppable Video Calls to Boost Brand Loyalty – Retail associates can preschedule a convenient time to co-shop with their high-value clients, helping them with their selections and purchases. Consistent, ongoing, and personalized customer engagement builds relationships and brand loyalty.
- Provide an Exceptional and Seamless Shopping Experience –Consumers expect a frictionless shopping experience. Shopping, add-to-cart, and checkout can be done within the live video application while speaking with retail associates.
- Inspires Impulse Buying – Consumers will make unplanned purchases if they have a great shopping experience. Creating community and exclusivity spur impulse buying. Salespeople can do this by offering special product bundles and events only available to live shopping customers. Sales can also inform customers about the scarcity of a product, offer free samples, and give money-back guarantees to encourage impulse buying.
- Provides Flexibility for Sales Teams – Digital clienteling enables sales associates to sell from anywhere. During the lockdown, e-commerce companies enabled their sales teams to work from home using digital clienteling. Whether your team has transportation issues, weather-related challenges, or any other unforeseen circumstance, if a sales associate cannot come to the physical store, they can still work and sell products from home.
Download the case study below to learn more about how Lucchese Boots saw a 30% increase in conversions and a staggering 62% rise in AOV with digital clienteling.