How to Improve Sales with Online Chat Software

By Jason Grills on July 18, 2017 - Fact checked by Dumb Little Man

by Jason Grills July 18, 2017

Whether it comes to pre-purchase guidance, sales or post-purchase support, modern customers desire nothing but swift, actionable service. Live chat has been answering those needs for a few years now, accounting for around 73% of total customer satisfaction today.

Traditionally developed for customer service, this simple but intuitive system shortly became a necessity for small and large businesses, particularly in the sales department.

In November 2014, about 44% of customers thought that having a live chat specialist to guide them through their online purchase as one of the most important perks a company can provide. As those figures continue to grow, let’s look into what makes this system such a potent sales aid in order to understand how to implement it as an infallible conversion tool.

Real-Time Convenience Is the Future of Online Sales

Live chat software is no longer an alternative to other channels of B2C communication. For quite some time now, this customer service and sales tool has been preferred by the majority of potential buyers and entrepreneurs.

While customers love them for their convenience and fast resolution rates, companies like them in turn because they are effective, reliable and cost-effective.

Apart from the undeniable convenience and reduced costs, live chat gives businesses valuable insight into customer data. This will allow you to tap into the customers’ pain points and earn a significant competitive edge.

Though mostly used as a part of a CRM strategy, this information is just as precious when it comes to conversion techniques. Equipped with an immediate and personalized approach to customers on one side and actionable data about their behavior on the other, sales reps can hardly fail to harness the immense potential of website live chat software systems.

How To Improve Sales Through Live Chat Software

Be Proactive 24/7

When asked about how much this option contributes to their loyalty, around 63% of surveyed customers answered that they were more likely to return to a website if it offers live chat guidance. In most cases, convenience is the number one reason for this. Around 79% of customers specify that live chat is so helpful because of the immediacy that comes with real-time solutions.

So, why employ a live chat software for sales if it is not available 24/7? The entire point of this tool is to stay in touch with prospects long after business hours. It should be able to provide them immediate guidance whenever they feel like shopping.

When used during the pre-purchase phase, live chat opens some brilliant opportunities. This includes convincing indecisive buyers that their late-night instincts are right and that your products and services are everything they’ve ever wished for.

Collect & Analyse Data

All live chat systems are game-changing solutions. However, the most beneficial ones are those that seamlessly integrate with your CRM database. With such an arrangement, you’ll be able to automatically collect and store information about your prospective buyers. Once analyzed, the data can tell you everything you need to know about the buying behavior of your customers.

From there on, you can use that information not only to develop far-reaching marketing, lead generation and conversion strategies but also to custom-tailor them to individual prospect’s needs.

Whether you need to send them a retargeting email or close the deal in the live chat session, you’ll know exactly what your potential buyers need, sometimes even before they themselves do. That’s what being customer-centric and data-driven is all about.

Take the Customer-Centered Approach

Let’s say your system detects that a prospect has returned to your website for the second time. It’s obvious then that your sales reps will have to deal with an indecisive buyer, presumably someone who doubts purchasing. Instead of waiting for him to come to you, the salesperson can approach him directly via your live chat software to ask what he can do to help.

Thanks to the previously analyzed browsing behavior, the sales rep will already have a few hints on what the prospect is interested in as well as what his problem with the product or service might be.

Having provided an immediate answer, the salesperson makes a strong case for your company’s efficiency. This will establish trust and can guide the prospect a few steps closer to the sales funnel. Whether it’s a case of second thoughts or an issue with a payment process, every little problem that could drive the prospect away from the website can easily be solved over live chat in a matter of minutes.

Reduce Cart Abandonment

That’s exactly why live chat software is a potent cart abandonment tool. Customers choose to flee from the site in the most decisive moment of all for a number of various reasons. Most of the time it’s the lack of transparency, complicated checkout process and inconvenient payment option.

But, you can never know what made them change their minds if you don’t ask. Apart from customer surveys, live chat is arguably the best way to do that. More than a feedback tool, this solution is an effective prevention against prospects abandoning their carts in the first place. A sales rep can track their every move, staying unobtrusive while the process runs smoothly and jumping-in the very second a prospect stumbles upon a problem.

Unlock New Opportunities to Upsell

With the right live chat software, your sales reps can easily find the most lucrative upselling opportunity. Pushing an entirely new and more expensive offer on top of the product the customer has already decided to pay for can be risky. If not relevant to the customer at hand and their specific needs, upselling can be frustrating for both parties.

You can put those scenarios behind you as soon as you find a live chat solution with a powerful data analysis system. When integrated with your CRM, it will hand you the entire history of previous customer interactions. This will help you know for sure what offers a specific buyer would be interested in.

It’s truly a win-win situation: a helpful product or service for your customer and a certain selling opportunity for you.

For customer service and sales, live chat software is no longer optional. It’s what most customers desire to see as they land on your website and the solution that convinces them to make the final purchase in the shortest amount of time.