Email and customer support can eat up A LOT of your time as your online business starts to grow.
This is actually one of the tasks you'll want to outsource first - and the quicker the better.
Until you're in a position to outsource your email and/or customer support, you'll want to handle it as efficiently as possible. And doing three things will actually put you in a position to outsource it more easily, which will make for a much smoother transition.
Three Practical Ways to Manage Email & Customer Support
1. The first step is to copy any "common responses" to a Swipe File. You can do this in a text file on your desktop, or ideally in a program like Evernote that you can access from any computer or device anytime.
Not only will this make support/email much faster for you, allowing you to simply copy & paste responses instead of retyping them over and over, it will also make it MUCH easier to outsource this task when you're ready. You can simply give your assistant a copy of the Swipe File so that tickets or emails are answered in the way you prefer.
2. Once you have a growing Swipe File, use that to create an FAQ page on your website. Link to this page instead of directly to your contact or support page, and then include a link to your contact page if their question was not answered.
Not only does this cut down on redundant Q&A, it also gives you another optimized page to discuss your products and services in detail which may interest potential buyers or clients. Be sure to include a link to your FAQ page in your site navigation and in your email signatures.
3. If you find yourself answering a lot of questions via email, keep in mind that you're working for free. Or at the very least for very limited ROI (return on investment). More in-depth questions that don't belong in your FAQ, and that aren't common enough for your Swipe File, are great inspiration for blog posts!
I usually ask permission by saying something like, "This is a great question! I am sure many other people would love to know the answer as well. Do you mind if I use this in a blog post this week? I can share your question anonymously, or I am happy to include your name and website address if you like." Other times I simply write a blog post (not including the question) and reply to their email with the link and a "thank you" for inspiring the post.
You can also expand on each of the topics in your FAQ or Swipe File and create blog posts out of those. You can then link to them from the shorter answers on your FAQ page for further explanation, and also include the link in your Swipe File when responding to emails or tickets.
Each post you create from questions or common support requests should have a call-to-action of course, leading your readers to your products or services - or your recommendations.
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How are you currently handling your email and/or customer support?
What software programs do you use, how did you outsource it or choose your VA, or what do you find most challenging about it? Leave a comment below... I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Best,
