Tony's corner
Show your customers that you
appreciate them in 2018 Tony Curcio
You should stay in touch, but don’t
go over the top or annoy them
Marketing experts tell us that it costs about five times more
to gain a loyal new customer than it does to keep a current
one. So what are you going to do in 2018 to keep your exist-
ing customers smiling? I posed that question to a friend who
runs a small print shop in downtown Toronto. His ideas may
not be new, and he may not be an “expert”, but they’re
definitely worth remembering.
Keep in touch, but don’t annoy them. This may be the most
difficult strategy. It all depends on the personality of each
customer and his or her preferred means of communication.
This printer often uses some kind of in-shop discount or
special offer to break the ice. One thing’s for sure – not
keeping in touch with your customers for a long period of
time is a no-no.
IS THERE REALLY
ANY ROI IN A
PRINT MIS?
For many shops, the answer is “Yes”
.
But what about yours?
At Avanti we’ve helped hundreds
of printers significantly improve
profitability with our award-winning
JDF-certified Print MIS.
Avanti Slingshot helps you deliver
more jobs, in less time, with the
confidence in knowing that every
aspect of your shop is integrated into
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Is there an ROI for YOUR shop with a Print MIS?
Come to Booth 11 at DSCOOP to get answers with Avanti’s ROI tool
Have a question about
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Start a client loyalty program. My printer uses a customer
ID number to track the number of purchases, and then
rewards loyal customers with a free product (when they
reach a certain buying limit) the next time they return to his
shop or place an order. The result is invariably a smile.
Reward customer referrals. This instills loyalty while thank-
ing them for their business. Anyone who refers a client to
him gets a thank-you card in the mail. If the new client pur-
chases a certain amount, he includes a gift card as well.
Offer online-only clients a special deal. Use social media
platforms like Facebook to create a special deal just for
them. This not only rewards your existing clients, but sharing
deals online is an easy way to boost social shares and attract
new followers. He also tries to make the message entertain-
ing, often with eye-catching and even humorous images.
Give personalized mugs as gifts. Mugs aren’t expensive,
are used frequently, and last a long time. Consider a per-
sonalized mug and write a sincere message to your
customers, thanking them for their business. Just don't
overdo it.
Give them a book. Clients have specialized knowledge in
their respective fields, may follow a sports team, have per-
sonal preferences, and so on. So why not send them a book
related to their field, favourite team or pastime? Discussing
the book may even help deepen your relationship with them.
Tony Curcio
Editor, Graphic Arts Magazine
[email protected]
8 | February 2018 | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE
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