When a company is determined to grow, have you ever stopped to consider that the first thing they do is look outward and try to acquire new customers?
But what if growth didn’t equal the number of clients? What if you could make your sales numbers blossom from the steadfast and loyal customers who have come to know you and appreciate what you do?
Growing existing print buyer accounts is what we’re tackling in this email series. Using six in-depth questions, we’re learning how to capitalize on the growth potential right in your very own shop right now. Questions, including:
- How can we better understand the needs of our print buyers?
- How can we stay top-of-mind with our print buyers?
And, today, we’ll look at how to build credibility and trust with your print buyers – the kind of credibility that builds stuck-like-glue loyalty to you.
Building Trust and Credibility with Customers
Whether you’re a small print shop or a large printing firm, every business wants to leave a positive legacy.
The next time you’re at a business networking event, ask other business owners what they want their legacy to be, and you’ll hear answers like these:
- I want my business to be one that people trust.
- I want my company to be known for our integrity – that we do what’s right. Always.
- In my firm, I want us to be held and kept in high regard. I want our reputation of credibility to go before us.
The good news is that building and keeping credibility and trust with your print buyers isn’t difficult. All it takes is being intentional and remembering that relationships don’t end once their payment has gone through.
Here are some ways you can continue to build a reputation as a credible and trustworthy printing business to your customers.
3 Strategies to Build Credibility and Trust that Will Increase Repeat Print Sales
1. Offer Over-the-Top Customer Service Solutions.
Without print buyers, you wouldn’t have a business.
Your print buyers are your greatest asset, and treating them as such will reap benefits not only for your business relationships but also to your bottom line.
The dog food company Chewy.com wanted to be known for more than competitive prices and a wide variety of products. They wanted their customers to know that they actually care about their animals. When a client of theirs canceled their automatic order because of the death of their pet, Chewy sent their client a beautiful bouquet of flowers to express their condolences.
That’s the kind of over-the-top customer service that builds lifelong advocates for your brand and creates a legacy you can be proud of.
2. Invest in Your Website
What does a website have to do with credibility and trust? Everything.
According to recent studies, you only have 50 milliseconds (0.05 seconds) before a user will form an opinion about your website and decide whether to stay or go.
Here are some areas to have a constant eye on:
- Keep your website up to date with fresh, relevant content
- Ensure a great user experience by keeping your site easy to navigate and simple but effective
- Keep your website secure
Your Website Offerings
You should also keep an eye on the solutions you’re offering for your print buyers on your website. Are you offering what’s needed? Here’s a simple checklist to get you started:
- Can your print buyers order their printing online?
- Can your print buyers easily manage and reorder their printing orders online?
- Can your print buyers customize “templated” items like business cards and order and proof in minutes?
- Can your corporate print buyers order printing from you directly from their own site?
- Can your print buyers find the answers to the questions they’re asking?
If you’re unable to answer these questions with a solid “yes!” then it’s time to consider an additional investment in your website.
3. Become a Print Marketing Consultant
One-and-done print sales are not the type of business relationships to be chasing after.
Instead of settling and appreciating one order from your print buyers, focus on taking more of a consultative approach. Meet with account holders to discover what their needs and pain points are, and then outline the ways in which you can offer help. Your expertise in offering innovative ideas and insights will ensure they keep coming back to you time and time again.
Most likely, your clients are struggling to balance their time with their need for marketing and may feel plumb out of marketing ideas. But you… you have the insights needed to alleviate their weariness and help them lay out a plan to creatively and effectively breathe new life into their business.
Join us again next week when we’ll tackle the question,
“How can we leverage existing print buyer relationships to make new ones?”
