The FollowUp.Net E-Sales Solution™

Web Merchants Find New Way to "Walk the Virtual Sales Floor"

Westport, CT, November 30, 1998 -- An online “buyer-driven commerce” auction service, a subscription-based online financial information site, and an apparel vendor all sell different things to different people. But one thing they have in common is their need for constant customer feedback as they develop new products or sell old ones in a new way. Another thing they have in common is that they each use the FollowUp.Net E-Sales Solution™, a powerful combination of online polling and feedback tools with a one-to-one marketing mechanism.

The FollowUp.Net E-Sales Solution™ is designed specifically for online retailers. It adds a third leg to e-commerce support: first marketing gets customers to the site; then technology makes it easy to shop and buy online; the third step is to gather and respond to customer feedback so they become repeat buyers.

The FollowUp.Net Sales Solution™ is a suite of tools that first pulls customer information from multiple electronic customer contacts, and then makes it easy to act on that data by target marketing to specific customers or browsers. “While the most important truth in selling is 'know your customer,' that information only helps if you can do something about it.” says CEO Chris Woods. “The FollowUp.Net E-Sales Solution™ not only finds out what the customers wants, it makes it easy to increase sales based on that information.”

The FollowUp.Net E-Sales Solution™ performs the traditional role of face-to-face customer feedback and vendor response that is the mainstay of successful retailers. “Market research tells you who is likely to come to your web site and who might buy your product. And surveys can tell you what you should highlight on your web pages. But a good salesman knows not only what a customer wants but also follows up directly when the store can fill that need.” explains Woods. "When we launched our first survey product, SurveyTrakker™, in August we were surprised at the number of online vendors who came to us saying that they really didn't know their customer. Their online efforts had turned their sales department into an order fulfillment department that only knew order numbers, not buyer needs. A traditional store has 'floor walkers' and sales clerks to learn more about customers than just what their sales receipt say. That knowledge is converted into revenues by reaching out to the customer when the store can make those additional sales. It's one-to-one marketing.”

FollowUp.Net has responded to this need by expanding its survey product line beyond the outbound product, SurveyTrakker™, by adding SiteTrakker™, which polls web site visitors, and CallTrakker™ which is used with inbound callers to phone centers. These tools allow managers to easily and rapidly take the pulse of buyers, browsers and callers and allow efficient responses to inventory changes, product adjustments or market conditions without waiting six weeks for an outside consultant to report back. Then, FollowUp.Net goes beyond common survey tools by adding a mechanism that allows the sales manager to send a specific marketing message to individuals based on their needs.

FollowUp.Net products are sold as web-based subscriptions, so there is no software to configure or maintain and client accounts are accessible from any PC with a web connection. The products may be purchased as a suite or separately and cost between $2,000 and $10,000 per month.