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Customers: Perpetual continuity

6 March 2020 Stuart Nimmo Customer Engagement, Customer Loyalty, Customer Retention No Comments

After many conversations with some of our marketing friends, almost every time their first port of call is the question around existing customers. Something which many businesses can easily miss a focus on keeping existing customers engaged. So much attention is focussed on new business, that once a customer has been gained, they almost go by the wayside.

Customer retention or loyalty as it’s called by some is a progressive art form. However, the crux behind it is communication, remember communication is two ways. The art of listening will always provide insights, that sometimes you don’t want to hear, however, the deliverer of feedback might be looking for the right signals to open up.

The culture of your business or organisation is so critical to building the persona which enables growth and retention. This culture and personality are at the heart of your brand, it’s worth remembering that a brand just isn’t your logo, visuals, font and straplines. A brand is so much more than this, personality and how you engage, through voice, actions and tone. This is linked to non-verbal communication and even starts to touch on Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), which is the science of your actions and how they influence your audience.

So where do you start? We are all at a point where we will need to build, further engage, reinforce our message and sell ourselves in the best light. Here are our top tools which help communications on your customer journey

Ensure that you use small tools such as review cards, which have an open language which allows constructive feedback. A simple card which can be inserted in with an order of products, or with the bill if you’re a restaurant. These also come in useful when you have low days, looking back and reflecting on what you have achieved.
Ensure you use multiple channels to communicate with, remember Visual Auditory kinaesthetic learning styles which people take on things in different ways. So a good mix of digital, physical and face to face marketing. Linking these tools is essential to provide the best longevity and take up.
Have a communications plan, be regular, utilise social media, do physical items which add value. Using a varied mix of communications will reap rewards as customers will remember the one, some or all of your communications.

Where can we help you? If you don’t have a plan, we can point you in the right direction of skilled practitioners who can help you formulate a plan. If you need to find ways of understanding how you engage, we can advise you on some good reading on understanding people. If you need specialised support with NLP, we can recommend a few people. If you need to enhance your brand position, again we know the right people to unpack your brand messages. As a print and graphic solution provider, we can help you develop physical resources to engage and develop a relationship, at whatever level you need.

If you are reading this during the Covid-19 lockdown, now is a great opportunity to start planning for the future. Yes, failing to plan is planning to fail. So why not start your planning, we’ll happily do Facetime, Google Hangouts / Google Meet, conference calls whatever you want to help you formulate your plan.

We love customers….

29 February 2020 Stuart Nimmo Customer experience, Customer Service No Comments

Customer service is one of those experiences which everyone says they excel at. However, the word quality is very subjective. What does it really mean? How do you go to quantifying something which is partly an intangible?

It’s probably fair to say that small businesses probably do make more of an effort on customer service. It means more to them, it’s a lot more personal, the person you are dealing with, it most likely the business owner and want to ensure the best experience for you as a customer or user of their product or service.

Even within 24 hours and recent days, I’ve seen polar opposite examples of how having the right communication can go a long way. Making it easier for your customer to see, find and engage is so essential, in creating the right experience.

A few tails….
… An associate of ours popped in and was discussing a project and common experiences came into the conversation. We both mentioned a salesperson who we’ve come across at various networking events. Needless to say, the perception was highly the same. The body language, tone of voice and conduct had made a similar impression, which was quite brusque and loud.
…Unfortunately my schedule this week has been manic, and realising I needed to use my Saturday morning more smartly I decided to try a gym session earlier. Much to my disappointment didn’t open to much later (weekdays it is 0630). Again the tone and body language of the member of staff who greeted me was curt and abrupt.
…Our Plumber was in the area, following a recent online conversation about upgrading our shower, popped by and give us the information we needed. Un-prompted, courtesy call, soon found out the specification and the boundary of our old shower, which provided enough information for the boundaries on the specification for a replacement.

It’s really simple to see, the value adds, don’t cost anything. Simple premises of choosing your attitude, being there for the customer, making their day is great to add bring a smile back in return. Longevity wise, the benefits of the extras do pay off, referrals are more likely with great positive experiences. Mediocracy results in no action, as nothing memorable sparks a trigger. However, the negative experiences become “old wife’s tails” which unfortunately spread too much. So if you’re marketing budget is limited, canny customer experiences can result in great word of mouth referrals which bring greater trust levels from new customers, as you’ve already partially won them over.

Project Planning for your next print project

16 February 2020 Stuart Nimmo Project management No Comments

Nerves might be everything when you’re taking a big step to progressing your business forward. Getting your print marketing right can be a big challenge – but with the right planning, you can minimise any potential hiccups.

Sometimes things go wrong, and your expenses can spiral out of control quickly, however, start right and the chances of things going wrong are significantly less.

Here are some top tips to keep your next project on track and on budget:

1. Ask Questions Upfront

When partnering with a print and design professional, be sure to clarify the remit upfront.

Design work – Will you be paying a project fee or an hourly rate?
What services are included in this fee? (some printers do charge for additional services like scanning or extra proofing)
Clarify how long the project will take, how often you’ll get to review the work, and how many revisions are allowed in this agreement, scheduling is essential, a good printer will outline a schedule for your project for you.

2. Early planning

Getting a design professional in your idea development as early as possible, this can help keep thing smartly planned, as things can be designed to suit the brief. Equally, if you have a limited budget, define what you are producing first, and ensure the design meets this specification.

Designing a single piece can have a quick turnaround, but re-branding or crafting large-scale exhibit pieces can take months. Being precise is a major benefit, using the acronym SMART (Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Timely) can be a benefit from the start. Getting the parameters of a project, to an audience, method, outcomes at the commissioning stage design presets for a particular project.

Many people who commission design and print projects who raise issues about increasing costs, usually results from changes mid-way through the design or production process. Start conversations early with all involved in your project take a complete view of your project to manage it in the most efficient, cost-effective way.

3. Assemble All the Elements

Attend to the precise details of copy, timeline, illustration, photography and branding at the start. Ensuring these elements have been approved by all relevant stakeholders before the project commences.

Coordinating a project with many elements, when they are coordinated from the start it will allow your design budget to be maximised with few delays. No one will ever have all have precise details outlined from the start, however clarifying project parameters is essential to finishing on time and on budget!

4. Milestone monitoring

All stakeholders and professionals involved in the project must be fully aware of key milestones. Tracking key milestones will ensure the timeline is carefully monitored as any project progresses.

Agreeing on how you communicate on a project, is critical, how many face to face meetings, do you use Slack or Yammer based group discussions, who is responsible for key actions?

5. Allow for a margin

To keep a project on budget, it’s essential to create margin so deadlines don’t get tight.

Every project has potential curveballs, so you build your timeline allow for realistic scheduling. For example, if the printer needs eight days to deliver a piece, schedule at least 11 days so you’re guaranteed a smooth outcome.

Budgeting

Ready to get started on your next marketing project? Creating a plan with these basic steps will make your budgeting easier:

Estimate or know your monthly income
Define your upper and lower limit design expenses
Ascertain your market reach, and cost implications
Look at your production and distribution costs
Create the budget
Online budget planners can also be helpful in estimating your costs.

How you work is down to you. Engaging individual service providers for separate project elements or taking a one-stop-shop approach. We know that using connected providers or utilising a multi-disciplined provider can result in significant savings on time, labour and unnecessary stress.

Whether its exceptional-value graphic design or full-service printing, our capable team is dedicated to providing you with prompt, knowledgeable, one-on-one service, and carefully printed materials you can be proud of. With decades of experience, we’re here to make your print project run as smoothly as possible!