5 Revenue Generators You Likely Aren't Thinking About

I’M OFTEN GETTING pulled into conversations with shop owners about wanting to build an outbound approach to find and acquire new customers. I think it’s the right strategy and shops should focus on it. However, don’t forget who got you here. And don’t forget the potential revenue generation that you can get from focusing on your current customers.

Here are five strategies to generate more revenue from your current customers:

Create Post-Order Automated Email Campaigns

1 Think about your post-order process today. Once your customers get “shirts in hand,” are you communicating with them? Most good shops 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. You don’t want to be looked at as the company that just “sold them” and then never reached back out.

I’d recommend building a post-order email campaign of five to six touch points. These are just simple, short emails sent over a period of time (maybe every two or three months.) Initial emails can focus on your clients’ 100% satisfaction of the merchandise they received, and later emails can focus more on other services and products you provide or even educational content. A phone call almost always is best when reaching out and communicating with customers. But for this simple outreach after the sale, I’m a fan of some general emails.

Note that it will help tremendously to have an email marketing tool or CRM with email campaign-sending ability to execute this strategy. For most shops, this needs to be an automated workflow where you just hit send. Keeps the clutter at bay and lets you focusing on doing business.

Schedule Outreach Based On Certain Criteria

2 The “It’s been 11 months since you ordered…” email asking if a customer is going to purchase again has been an incredibly solid point of outreach for many shops. If you haven’t done tried it before, it definitely will drive revenue. You also can try reaching out to folks that have only ordered from you once. Or reach out to those clients that haven’t ordered in more than 12 months — it’s time to make them repeat customers.

You can entice them with a certain percentage off code or other incentive. It also doesn’t have to be about an order ask. Your outreach can be highlighting a hot new product line or showcasing some recent designs you did for other clients to showcase your talents. The goal is to stay in front of these folks and keep awareness of your shop top of mind for them.

Run QPR’s With Your Top Customers

3 Quarterly partnership reviews (QPR’s) are a great way to stay in front of your top buyers. For your largest customers — maybe the top 10% — having a quarterly sit-down meeting 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: A title slide with the customer’s logo. Basic thinking, but smart. Taking the time to recognize the customer and his branding is an important way to open the presentation.

Slide 2: Present data/metrics about the relationship. Title this slide something like, “Success We’ve Achieved Together” and share the average order size, number of orders, average turnaround time, etc. Also highlight any opportunities you see that could help them convey their message better.

Slide 3: Provide customer updates. Let them give you an overview on what is new on their end and their goals for continued success. Here’s where your quick thinking to present ideas on how you can be their partner in that success comes into play.

Slide 4: A slide showing shop updates. Provide insight from your end as to what’s new. This includes the latest garment styles, any technology improvements that allow your shop to provide more decorating processes, introduce them to your new employees, etc.

Slide 5: Look to the future. What does the next quarter hold? Where can you add more value to the services you offer? What can you do differently in their opinion? What do they think isn’t working well? You get the idea. Engage them in how you can improve to offer the best goods and services possible. You should spend 75% of your meeting time of the QPR on this slide.

Advertisement

Run Current Customer Promotions

4 I often find shops lower prices to get new customers in the door. But think about this: 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 asking yourself.

There’s a better solution than just being the cheapest printer in town. You could mention a specific product that you’re printing at a discount instead of giving away the whole farm. You also could throw in sample tote bags, hoodies, or other items decorated with their logo that they aren’t ordering with their normal orders. Get creative and put new ideas in front of them! You’d be surprised at how their positive reaction to your suggested selling will boost your profits.

Proactively Ask For Referrals Promotions

5 One of the easiest ways to maximize the relationship with your current customers is to have them help you find new ones. It’s as easy as an ask. There are two important points to consider when asking for referrals.

One is timing. My recommendation is to make the ask for referrals often. Any positive interaction with the customer has earned you the right to ask for a referral. The best time to ask is when they get an order in hand and are really excited about the end product.

Second, what should you ask for? Specificity is key here. Be very detailed in how you ask. Here’s an example: “I’m assuming you network and are connected with a number of other marketing directors in the area. Would you mind connecting me with one of them to see if I might be able to help them with their branding as well?” Again, don’t be surprised at the positive reaction you will get that can increase your client list and create more repeat customers.

Keeping current customers happy is more than fulfilling an order and waiting for them to come back. If you are proactive in nurturing the relationship, introducing new products and services as you bring them into your business’s offerings, and pay attention to their branding and how you can help them get as much exposure as possible through your decorating services, you will find that keeping your current clientele satisfied is just as important as chasing that ever-profitable new customer.