We all have print customers who show up only once a year. We like them. They like us. They’re happy with the results we provide. Yet they don’t plan to print again with us for another year.
Here’s a thought. What if we could get those happy print customers to print again in 2025? We could double our annual sales revenue for each of these once-a-year customers. When you add it up, you can see why printers should figure out how to get happy print customers to print again this year.
Here are 5 questions printers can ask print customers to spur more print work in 2025.
“If you had all the money and resources to do any kind of print project you wanted, what would you want to work on?”
This question is so revealing. As we know, print customers see obstacles, and printers see solutions.
For example, I worked on a fundraiser with someone who wanted to print retro album covers for an event. He had never seen anything like that in his printer’s shop, so he assumed it couldn’t be done.
As you can guess, the printer actually had lots of ways to accomplish a project like that, including an affordable one-sided gang print that was adhered to board material and cut into squares. Since the album covers were for decorative purposes only, they didn’t need to be two-sided or sleeved.
The customer was thinking literally, and the printer was thinking practically.
“Do you mind if I contact you when we have special offers and new items?”
You may have asked the customer to sign up for your company’s newsletter, which features new items. And you probably mention your new products and special offers on a regular basis.
But until you make it personal, that kind of information just slides off your customer’s brain like a fried egg on Teflon.
However, if you go out of your way to contact print customers out of your regular cadence, and you describe how the information pertains, you’re more likely to get their attention.
Here’s an example. I have a client who can screen print on just about any flat or dimensional shape, and he specializes in short runs. If he tries to explain to a customer what the possibilities are, he’ll be talking all day.
In that situation, he could say, “Hey, we just received a supply of special material that looks just like polished copper. It would look amazing behind your cobalt blue logo.” Now the customer can visualize it.
“Do you know how important you are?”
You probably wouldn’t phrase it exactly like that, but it has to be said.
Print Customers need to hear their printer say that they’re not inconsequential or a hassle. In fact, we should go above and beyond to communicate how much we appreciate them.
As a print customer myself, I’ve thought, “Would my printer miss me if I printed elsewhere? Does this project matter to them?” If you want customers to return in 2025, you must make it clear that you love them and want them to come back.
“Is there anything we can do to make your experience with us better?”
Many salespeople hate to ask this question. What if the customer wants something difficult, time-consuming, or awkward? Yet it’s a question that can endear you to your customers and open the door to more projects.
I remember my printer being surprised when a customer said, “I wish you could just ship my job to me. What a time savings that would be.”
How could that customer not notice the giant shipping department at the printing plant? Yet, no one thought to ask him, “Is there anything else we can do for you?”
“When does your fiscal year end?”
I asked a new client this question two weeks ago, and she replied, “Today! Can you invoice me today so we can pay for this job from our 2024-2025 budget? That way, I’ll have more money in my 2025-2026 budget.”
Be sure to ask about the fiscal year deadline when you first start working with print customers, and put it on your calendar.
So there you go – 5 questions to ask to improve the chances that print customers will print with you again before the end of 2025.
Do you have more ideas? Share them in the comment section below!
##
Read more from Sandy here.
Check out last month’s post: Must-Know Recruiter Tips for Print Industry Job Seekers
Sandy Hubbard is a Growth Strategist and Marketing Advisor specializing in Print, Media, and B2B Tech. She helps print companies improve in all areas — but especially sales and marketing — so they stand above the crowd. Sandy is the host of #PrintChat, a weekly global gathering of the industry’s most influential thinkers and leaders. A proud member of Girls Who Print, Sandy is the 2022 recipient of the coveted Girlie Award.
