12 Ways To Use E-learning For Customer Acquisition And Retention, Part 2

Customer Retention Uses of Web-based Learning Management Systems (LMSs)

8) Around-the-clock, 24-7 tech support. A web-based LMS used to deliver training and product support is able to provide 24-7 customer support, with courses on installation procedures and other types of important information. Top-notch customer support will therefore improve customer loyalty.

9) Map the perception of your company's product and services on your customer's mind. A web-based learning management system used to deliver training and product support works to reinforce the positive perception of your products and/or service's and the company's perception in your market.

10) Research, test, and introduce new products, add-ons, and services. A web-based learning management system can be used to introduce new products and services to your customer base. Use the system reports to tweak your product introduction campaigns to quickly build product saturation amongst your existing customer base.

11) Sell and market additional products, add-ons, and services to your existing customer base. As mentioned in item (7) above, a web-based LMS has features and functionality that can be used to sell and market your products to your current customers. The built-in online survey, E-mail messaging, system messaging, and web conferencing tool give sales and marketing professionals many options for promoting their products and services.

12) Insure a continuous loop of communication with your customers to build loyalty. A web-based LMS can be used to build a never-ending stream of dialog between you and your customers. According to the Cluetrain Manifesto by Christopher Locke, Rick Levine, Doc Searls and David Weinberger, and Seth Godin's Permission Marketing, markets are conversations. A web-based learning management system is an efficient, cost-effective mechanism in which to maintain a dialog with your customers on many levels through different online mechanisms.

Why is this important?

In customer acquisition sales and marketing in a business-to-business context, more and varied touches of the prospect are needed in order to close the sale. Depending upon the complexity of the product and the sales situation in a business-to-business context, a prospect needs a minimum of six touches or even more per stakeholder to come to a close.

When deployed as part of your tactical customer acquisition strategy, a web-based learning management system is a potent and inexpensive way to generate many different types of touches for each of the stakeholders in the business-to-business sales process. This system used in conjunction with web marketing, direct mail, telemarketing, and other techniques will shorten your company's sales cycle and help to close more sales.

In customer retention sales and marketing in a business-to-business context, they have already purchased your products and services. Your product or service is being used to solve one or a combination of their business challenges. Many times they are more inclined to come back to you again to see if you have another product/service that can help them solve another business problem.

Customer retention sales and marketing should facilitate customers buying additional products and services. A web-based learning management system used in business-to-business, value-added, manufacturing, and technology industries can become an important conduit between your company's products and services and your customers.