Grow Into a Lasting Business Relationship

By Jim Hollis 

You’ve successfully fulfilled a promotional products order and have a happy customer – congratulations! What’s next? Celebrate! After you treat yourself to your well-deserved celebratory fun, you need to plan for how you can turn this order into future orders. Let’s look at how you can grow beyond the first order.

Ask for Referrals
People like to do business with people they know, like and trust. It’s like a blind date – you’re more likely to go on one if the other person has been referred to you by a trusted friend. One of the best ways to grow your company is to ask happy customers for referrals. The best time to do this is when your customer is on a high from getting the promo order they wanted. You exceeded their expectations, and the experience is fresh in their minds. Call or email them to ask if they can refer more customers to you.

Request a Review
You’ll get a lot of use out of a review. You can post it on your website or use it on marketing materials. If your client is inclined, they can review on social media sites or Google. These are all places where prospects can find you, and it will help grow your brand. A fun option is to run contests where writing an honest but helpful review is a part of the contest entry.

Post Pics & Vids on Social
Ask your client if you can get pictures or videos of the products in use to post on social. Offer to tag them and ask if they’ll also share your post to expand its reach. Make sure to engage with anyone who comments and always answer any questions. Include relevant hashtags to attract more prospects to your post. If it’s a nonprofit, ask if they’d like you to arrange a small fundraiser on Facebook or Instagram as a thank you for their business. On a more advanced level, you can partner with small or large influencers in specific industries using the products.

Create a Repeat Order Plan
Obviously, if an item was for something extremely specific, like rally towels for homecoming, you won’t want to contact that school quickly for a reorder. However, if it’s something more generic like pens at a bank branch, you’ll want to follow up semi-frequently to see if they need a restock. The best way to do this is call a few weeks after the order to see how much stock they have left and use that information to set reminders to call a recheck at certain intervals. Also keep in mind that if you see a supplier is offering a special sale or discount on a certain type of product (like those bank pens) or a complementary product (like notepads), you should call your customer and see if they want to stock up while the price is low. Your customer will appreciate these conversations, and the extra touchpoints can help secure more orders. Also, think outside of the box. If there is a “new and improved” version of a product a customer previously bought, pitch the idea with the take that “it made you think of them.” People love to feel special and that their wants/needs have been listened to and remembered – it makes it personal.

Follow Up After Events
The event may be over, but more sales could be around the corner. Call your client to see how the event went and what people thought of the promotional products. Then use this opportunity to ask about future events. If it’s a business or school, they likely have a calendar of events. Don’t be afraid to ask for a copy and offer your services. If it’s someone like an event planner, ask if you can help with promo for the next event. For anything you know that’s annual, like charity races and community parades, be sure to plan well in advance to reach out and get next year’s order. Don’t allow another distributor to step in just because they called at the right time.

Be Accessible
One of the most important things to do from a customer service standpoint is to be accessible and responsive. Communication is crucial. Anytime a previous customer reaches out, always respond. They will remember that, and you’ll be the first person they think of when it’s time to order promo again.

Want to know more? Check out our eBook, Strategies for Growing Your Promotional Products Business or learn more about becoming an ASI member and how we can help get your sales soaring.