Don’t let your customers’ next order ship without it!
Have you ever attended a tradeshow or a local community show and taken the plastic bag or tote they hand you as you enter the show? As you wander throughout the show floor gathering flyers, discount offers, samples and affidavits do you feel the bag getting heavier? STOP…
Have you ever discriminated against collecting this media? Most of us don’t. We are caught up in the excitement of the new product offerings and the great prices. “I MUST look into buying one of these! “ My husband’s response is the standard; “when do you think you will really use it” to which my curt but defensive reply is “all the time”.
The show floor is closing so we head back home. Soon enough, the plastic bag/tote is all but forgotten. Tucked into the closet for safe keeping. Spring rolls around and the bag/tote full of stuff is rediscovered. As you flip though the offering nothing “grabs” your attention like it did at the time of the show and you dump everything into the recycling bin.
“Time of Sale” and “Time of delivery” are the two most crucial times to prompt repeat purchases. If your customer cannot touch or feel the marketing collateral at the same time as when their order is received, then the impulse of the moment has passed. eCommerce sales are digital in nature, it provides a short window in which to connect with customers. Once the order is placed, it is forgotten until it is delivered. The door bell has rung, the phone is ringing, and a child is crying…..Your customer’s attention is not on your company or your product offering any longer.
Delivery…your most opportune time to reconnect with your customer again and invite them back to your website to make another purchase. Another opportunity to prompt them to refer a friend, to announce an up and coming promotion or try a sample product. The possibilities are endless for your company’s marketing team to promote the company’s brand, increase repeat purchases and improve referrals.
With Material Handling Order Fulfillment Systems the ability to automate the insertion of Marketing Collateral at time of order has never been so cost effective to do in-house. To do it with intelligence requires the communication between software and eCommerce Order Fulfillment equipment. This is about the time in the warehouse automation proposal where the Marketing Team’s enthusiasm starts to wane. The company’s I.T. departments are focused on the virtual order platform. Their team’s mandate is to get customers to stay on the company’s eComm site and make a purchase with as little effort as possible.
Material handling companies realize that warehouse automation solutions and order fulfillment equipment must be able to be integrated seamlessly. The luxury of a dedicated I.T. team is not part of the overall solutions. Companies today need to be able to provide solutions that can intelligently automate the kitting of orders On-Demand. Automatic packing slip inserters at packing stations can work well in high volume applications whereas stand-alone friction feeders placed at pack stations may provide a robust ROI for smaller volume order fulfillment lines.
Marketing Teams rejoice and refocus. Start thinking what type of marketing collateral you want to include at time of order. It’s time to reconnect with your customers at time of delivery.
Nancy Panunto
