You may not know it yet, but every single part of your business can be a sales and marketing tool. In fact, your sales don’t just stop when your customer buys from you. It’s actually cheaper and much more lucrative for your business to have repeat customers rather than working to constantly get new ones.
One way to keep your customers coming back for more is to use your invoice as more than just a payment document. You can use it to increase your sales in a few easy steps.
Today we’ll look at 6 of the best ways to use your invoices as a sales tool.
1.Referrals
When you send out your invoices, why not use it as a platform to promote a referral incentive? It’s a common sales technique—if you refer our service to someone who goes on to purchase it, we’ll give you $—but one that is rarely used on invoices.
The problem with referral emails is that the open rate is usually quite low. However, all your customers will be reading your invoices (to make sure the prices are accurate), so why not use that high open rate for incentives to increase your sales?
2. Testimonials & Feedback
Again, let’s look at the open rate for emails requesting testimonials and feedback. Quite low across industries. However, with the strong open rate of invoices, you have the opportunity to ask your (hopefully satisfied) customer for feedback and testimonials.
As you may know, feedback is great for allowing you to strengthen your business and create better products and services to satisfy your customers. Testimonials from satisfied customers are a great marketing tool for potential customers to see the personal value of your goods and services. They are two things you should be asking for on a regular basis, and your invoices presents a great opportunity.
3. Announcements
Keep your customer interested in your products and services by using your invoices to announce any special events or offers that will be coming at a later time. This will allow you to build up interest in your customer, and leave the idea lying in the back of their minds. If you do it well enough, you can build up interest before the big release of your new offer.
Of course, you’ll need to be using online invoicing software rather than paper invoices for this, as the announcement should be clickable.
4. Free Reports or Downloads
When you email your invoice through your online invoicing software, you can attach a link to a free gift or download that your customer will love. In order to create repeat customers, you’ll need to build up a strong relationship with your customers and create customer loyalty, and providing great, free resources is one very effective way.
5. Discount Codes
This is a popular technique for in-store purchases, but what about invoices. Put a discount code right on your invoices to entice customers to come back for second, third, fourth, twentieth purchases. You can offer something like a 10% discount on their next purchase or a buy-one-get-one-free. However you choose.
6. Acknowledge Loyal Clients
Lastly, if you are nice to your loyal clients, your loyal clients will be nice to you. Also, if you show acknowledgement to your repeat customers, studies show your customers are more likely to come back. Thank them sincerely the second time they purchase from you with a personal message. That is really easy and simple to do with online invoicing software, but you can also work it into your paper invoices and invoice templates. When your clients feel recognized, they’ll be more likely to come back for more.
These are only some of the best ways that you can use your invoices to not just send payment request to your customers, but also to use that space to create loyal customers and increase your sales.
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