The way we do business today is different from how things were done in the past. The traditional way of building a long-lasting relationship with the customer isn’t relevant anymore. And yet, many printing companies operate in the same way that they have been doing for years.
What companies need to understand is that they have to justify why customers should use them. This applies to products and services as well as price.
It’s not enough to have the most advanced technology, your company’s culture and marketing strategies should evolve as well. Here are three strategies to help your business grow.
Find another point of view
It’s only natural that we are used to looking at things from our own point of view, but we can miss things that someone from the outside might catch. It’s helpful to get input from people outside of your company, or even outside of the industry.
If you hire a sales person from another sector, it is most likely they’ll succeed in presenting things in a way that their prospects will understand. It’s actually an advantage that they lack print knowledge because they have to approach their customers in a creative way, finding out more from their customers and building good relationships.
Get your clients involved
Talking to you clients and even interviewing them can be an extremely useful exercise. Ask a couple of your best clients for a short research conversation, and assure them it’s not a sales conversation and that you value their opinion.
During the conversation, focus about these topics:
- How they see their business evolving
- The major business challenges that they face
- Why they need your services
- Why they have chosen your services
- What would their ideal supplier look like
- Are there any other services they would like you to provide
Ask your customers for advice
Get your clients involved in your planning process and ask them about potential new services and investments. Ask them what they would recommend you to invest in. They might not know what is available, but it’s worth testing out sales messages for potential new products and services with them.
Are they excited by your new opportunities? Or do they think it’s not interesting? In the best scenario, a customer might even put you off investing in the wrong equipment or services.
As you can see, it all comes down to listening to people from outside our industry. Whether it is customers or people from different industry sectors, they all help us see things from a different perspective. If you want your print business to evolve, it’s vital to start seeing things from another point of view.