The world has changed. The massive deterioration in customer service post-COVID has created a crisis of trust between companies and their customers. Lockdowns, supply chain breakdowns, and remote work setups disrupted standard operations across industries. People expect more, and patience is running thin. While companies scramble to recover from operational challenges and staff shortages, the real damage is happening quietly.
As Andrew Marsden MStJ said in his post, what companies should truly fear isn’t loud complaints. It’s the silent customer. Studies show that 96% of customers don’t complain – 91% simply never return. It gets worse. According to PwC, one-third of customers leave a brand after just one bad experience and 92% after two. Even more disturbing is that dissatisfied customers don’t keep their frustrations to themselves. Research reveals they tell between 8 and 20 others about their negative experiences.
And how do companies typically respond? By pouring money into customer acquisition, hoping to make up for the constant leaks in their retention bucket. The obsession with acquisition is understandable. Investors and Sales VPs want predictable, quantifiable results. They demand metrics like the number of leads, conversion rates, and total sales. These are easy to measure and present at board meetings. It’s a simple equation: Leads → Interest → Sales.
This approach leaves no room for strategic thinking. Focusing on short-term gains and quarterly targets leads companies to neglect their most powerful asset: existing customers. They invest millions in building awareness, attracting leads, and closing deals. But once the sale is made, the attention vanishes. No follow-up, no relationship-building, no aftercare.
And yet, the data speaks for itself: Acquiring a new customer costs five times more than retaining an existing one. Even a small boost in retention rates of 5% can increase profits by 25%. If these statistics are so well known, why do companies keep making the same mistake? Because it’s easier to understand the conversion rate than the ROI of nurturing loyalty. But here's the point: It’s not (just) about the number of leads. It’s about sales revenue. And sales revenue is driven by loyalty, not just acquisition.
After-sales marketing is often treated as an afterthought. But in reality, it should be embedded in your brand strategy from the very beginning. It’s not a phase that comes after the sale - it’s a core element of how your brand interacts with its audience at every stage.
When you define your Brand Idea, Purpose, Vision, Pillars, Promise, and Story, you’re setting the blueprint for how your brand engages customers, both before and after the sale. By aligning your after-sales marketing activities with your brand’s DNA, you ensure consistency across all interactions, fostering stronger relationships, building loyalty, and unlocking new revenue opportunities.
The problem most companies face is that they view marketing as something that ends when a customer makes a purchase. In fact, that’s precisely when it should truly begin.
According to studies, 84% of consumers prefer to buy from brands they feel an emotional connection to. And companies with a strong brand story outperform their competitors by 20%. However, most companies are stuck reacting to customer complaints instead of actively designing a journey that turns every interaction into a positive memory.
What if your brand wasn’t just a product provider but a trusted partner that helps customers even after their purchase? That’s what creates advocates. And advocacy is priceless. What would happen if companies redirected even a fraction of their acquisition budgets towards improving after-sales marketing?
Playing the long game with customers is more than a strategy - it’s a declaration of intent. It signals to your audience that you are here for the long run. Your business is trustworthy.
When customers see that your brand is committed to their satisfaction beyond the sale, they begin to see you as a partner, not just a vendor. Trust builds over time, and trust is the foundation of true loyalty. Imagine a company that invests as much energy in retaining customers as it does in attracting them. What would their customer journey look like if the focus was on creating stories worth sharing?
The silent customer is only silent until they become an advocate. The key is in building that bridge.
What’s Your Strategy for 2025?
As companies enter 2025, the brands that thrive will be the ones that build customer relationships that go beyond the sale. It’s no longer enough to rely on great marketing campaigns alone. It’s about creating memorable experiences that turn customers into vocal supporters.
What’s your after-sales marketing strategy for 2025? Are you ready to turn satisfied customers into lifelong advocates? Follow the discussion on LinkedIn.
