I’M OFTEN GETTING pulled into conversations with wide-format digital printer shop owners about wanting to build a stronger outbound approach to find and acquire new customers. I think it’s the right strategy and you should focus on it. However, let’s not forget who got you here. And let’s not forget the potential revenue generation that you can get from focusing on your current customers.
Here are 5 strategies to cater to new clientele:
1. Create post-order automated email campaigns
Think about your post-order process today. Once customers obtain their completed orders, are you communicating with them? Most good printers are. And it’s not just ad hoc. It’s scripted, dialed, and automated. The goal here is to stay in front of them and top of mind. We don’t want to be looked at as the company that just “sold them” and only communicates when they need something.
I’d recommend building a post-order email campaign of five to six touch points. These are simple, short emails sent over a period of time (maybe every two to three months.) Initial emails can focus on the 100% satisfaction of what they received, while later emails can focus more on other services and products you provide or educational content. Using the phone almost always is best when reaching out and communicating with customers. But for this simple outreach, I’m a fan of some general emails.
Note: It’s tremendously helpful to have an email marketing tool to execute this strategy. For most businesses, this needs to be an automated workflow where you just hit “send.”
2. Schedule outreach based on certain criteria
The “It’s been 11 months since you ordered…” email asking if they are going to purchase again has been an incredibly solid point of outreach for many printers. If you haven’t done it before, it definitely will drive revenue.
You also can build campaigns around reaching out to folks who only have ordered from you less than three or four times. Or reach out to folks that haven’t ordered in more than 12 months. You can entice them with a percent-off code or other incentives. It also doesn’t have to be about an order ask. Your outreach can be highlighting a new product line or showcasing some recent designs. The goal is to stay in front of these customers and keep awareness of your shop’s services top of mind for them.
3. Run QPR’s with your top customers
Quarterly Partnership Reviews (QPR’s) are a great way to stay in front of your top customers. For your largest customers (maybe the top 10%), having a quarterly sit down can help strengthen the relationship and drive more revenue.
Here is my recommendation on what should be covered in a slide deck to accompany that meeting:
- SLIDE 1
Title slide with the customer’s logo. - SLIDE 2
Data/metrics about the relationship. It should be titled “Success We’ve Achieved Together” and share the average order size, number of orders, average turnaround time, etc. - SLIDE 3
Customer updates. These provide overview on what is new on their end. - SLIDE 4
Updates. Provide updates on your end about new products, new processes, new employees, etc. - SLIDE 5
Future looking. What does the next quarter hold? Where can you add more value? What can you do differently? What isn’t working well, etc. You should spend 75% of your time on the QPR on this slide.
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4. Run current customer promotions
I often find printers lower prices to get new customers in the door. Are you ever providing a discount to your current customers to keep them happy, or to get additional orders that you might not have gotten otherwise? It’s worth the ask. You could mention a specific product that you’re printing at a discount. You also could throw in samples of other items they aren’t ordering in with their normal orders. Get creative and put new ideas in front of them!
5. Proactively ask for referrals
One of the easiest ways to maximize the relationship with your current customers is to have them help you find new ones. It’s an easy ask as well. Here are two important points you should have on your mind when asking customers for referrals:
- Timing: My recommendation is to ask often. Any positive interaction with customers has earned you the right to ask for a referral. I think the best time to ask is when they get an order in hand and are really excited about the end product.
- What to ask for: Specificity is key here. Here’s what you could say in such a case: “I’m assuming you network and are connected with a number of other Marketing Directors in the area. Would you mind connecting me with just one of them to see if I might be able to help them as well?”
Using these tips to keep your current clientele at the top of your priority list can help drive revenues with relationships you’ve already started.
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