Hi Terry,

We've done quite a bit of work with assisted online sales support via online chat, telesales, bricks and mortar retail channels, or referral to complete purchase online.

In all cases, we provided a small incentive to convert the sale, such as a value added service or free gift for customers who needed the additional support.

In our research we found that the additional sales channels provided a safety net rather than necessarily cannibalising online sales. We ensured we could track the offline/additional support activity via promotional codes, vouchering or other activity.

Some customers will always require the additional support, and may be reluctant to purchase without it, but for those who are prepared to make an unsupported purchase, it makes sense to provide a comparable incentive (eg. discount)

We've balanced the benefits of the supported vs. unsupported promotions in the past by providing additional product or gift at full price for offline-led sales vs. a discount for online.

So long as you're happy to invest in the additional cost per acquisition to help convert the offline channels (on top of the obvious overheads of the sales team itself), you may well find additional sales and incremental market.

We're experts in integrated sales channel conversion at BPL Marketing, so if you're interested in finding out more, please get in touch via our website: http://www.bplmarketing.com/contact-us.html

Good luck with your research,
Stephen Foxworthy,
Digital Director,
BPL Marketing