What Do Your Customers Want? (It's Probably Not Print)
This week you’ve received a couple of emails from me encouraging you to interview clients. Today I’m going to show you how a customer interview helped one of the printing companies I mentor.
Here’s a great example of why interviewing clients is so important
During the interview, the client mentioned the importance of regular feedback. When asked more about this, he came out with the following statements:
“It makes us look much more proactive and manage clients more effectively.”
“It changes the dynamics of our conversations with clients—we are not on the back foot.”
What became clear during the interview was that the client wasn’t just interested in print. They wanted suppliers who helped manage the customer’s customer. Further interviews in the same market sector confirmed this issue.
Now the printing company talks about this issue regularly when they meet with prospects from the same sector. They are putting in place processes that ensure their clients are even better informed about how their projects are progressing.
These types of clients are not interested in just print
They need suppliers with the right processes and feedback. This knowledge helps them create a far more effective sales message and offering.
What do your clients want?
P.S. If you would like some ideas on what new things to try, download this free checklist “Eight Essential Print Sales Activities.” You’ll also receive my regular “Views from the print buyer” bulletin, full of ideas on how to sell print effectively.
- Categories:
- Business Management - Marketing/Sales
Many printing companies are frustrated how hard it is to engage buyers in today’s world. That’s where Matthew Parker can help. He is a gamekeeper turned poacher. Parker has bought print for more than 20 years and received over 1,400 print sales pitches. He now uses his buyer’s point of view to give practical advice to printers. He helps them engage with prospects and customers to create profitable relationships.
Download his free e-book, "Ten Common Print Selling Errors And What To Do About Them" and check out his recently launched book, "How To Succeed At Print Sales: Setting targets, planning the right activities and making sure goals are met."
