We acquired a customer 30 minutes after we installed Olark. Here's how:
Pipemonk (formerly Zapstitch) is building a Cloud Data Integration platform. We automatically sync and transfer data between various cloud business apps. Today, we connect Shopify (eCommerce platform) and QuickBooks Online (financial software).
As an early stage startup, it is critical for us to learn from every user that signs up. We use Olark to provide live product support, get customers’ feedback, reviews and sometimes just exchange quick plain hellos :).
I want to share one of the most rewarding Olark conversations we had recently with one of our customers named Hermann. He converted from a Free Trial user to a Paid Customer within a single Olark conversation!Here are 5 things we did right to get the most out of an Olark conversation:
1) Proactive welcome and offer to help
We welcome every new user with a personalised message offering help with the product or business. We believe it is the quickest way to express “we care” and “we are here now”.
Hermann signed up 10 minutes ago. He mentioned that he was stuck while configuring our app. Here’s how it all started:
Quick Tip 1: A welcome chat message is the best / quickest way to show the breathing human face behind support.
2) When in doubt, just screenshare (type !see):
Screen-sharing with Olark is super-easy and one-click. In Hermann’s case, we realised that we couldn’t solve the issue unless we saw his screen. It allowed us to be super fast and to-the-point:
Quick Tip 2: Sometimes, a quick screen share (type !see in Olark chat) can save you from lengthy, cumbersome conversations. Also, it brings a smile to the customer quickly...
3) Turn a rare glitch into an opportunity to delight:
The product for Hermann worked fine except for an unusual glitch. Proactively informing the user about the known issue is a good way to build trust:
Meanwhile, our team resolved the issue and updated him in 1 hour.
4) Show, not Speak, the value proposition:
The conversation soon became interesting as Hermann started enquiring about Paid Subscription plans:
It’s good to keep conversations open. They could lead to a purchasing decision instantly.
Quick Tip 3: Focus only on support and delight. Don’t sell unless you've earned the trust of the customer.
5) Drive delightful conversations towards a review/referral:
Olark conversations are great opportunities to get reviews/referrals for your product.
By now, we realised that Hermann was pretty impressed with our product. It’s time to ask for a review! :
You can checkout Hermann’s review here. He upgraded to a Paid Plan the next day.
Amazing conversations like these are unusual. The approach, though, is repetitive. To sum up, we take every customer through these stages:
1. Welcome - Welcome the user and offer any help
2. Activate - Provide required support to activate the user account and let him experience the value proposition
3. Delight - Delight the customer either by DIY product or through proactive support
4. Get Feedback - Recognise delighted customers and ask for a review/referral.
Olark has now become one of our most frequently used tools to ensure customer success. I hope our experience helps you to build/improvise on your own unique Olark experience.
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