Speed = Sales. The faster you respond to customers, the more likely you will win the order and repeat business. But your team is busy — that’s where automation can bridge the gap.
Here are simple automations any distributor can use today:
Customers want to know their order has been received when they send a message. If they don’t get a quick acknowledgment, they may assume the message was missed or ignored and move on to another distributor.
Auto-acknowledging inbound messages gives customers instant reassurance. Even a simple automated reply builds trust and prevents lost sales by showing you’re responsive, even when your team is busy.
What to automate:
How:
Set up an automatic reply:
“Thanks for reaching out! We got your message, and a team member will respond shortly.”
This gives customers confidence that their message has been received, read, and won’t go unanswered.
One of the most common customer frustrations is not knowing the status of their order. Without clear updates, customers end up calling to ask, tying up your phones and pulling your team away from other tasks.
Automating order status notifications keeps customers informed at every step, without adding more manual work for your team. This transparency builds trust, improves the customer experience, and reduces “Where’s my order?” calls.
What to automate:
How:
Trigger messages from your system (ERP, POS, or communication platform) to keep customers updated—no manual typing required.
This keeps customers informed of their order status without adding an extra lift to your team.
Sometimes, a well-timed reminder is all it takes to win the next sale. Customers get busy and forget about an open quote, a product they need to reorder, or a seasonal item they typically purchase.
Automating follow-up reminders helps you stay on your mind, prompting customers to take action and driving more repeat sales, without relying on your team to manually track every opportunity.
What to automate:
How:
Use scheduled text or email reminders to proactively drive repeat sales.
This entices customers to purchase and can turn spur-of-the-moment purchases into consistent buyers.
Bottom line: Even small automations drastically affect your business, saving time, boosting service levels, and driving more sales. Start with these basics—and grow from there.