Survey Advantage Press

Leveraging customer testimonials is a great way to improve your marketing approach. Most businesses do not do this effectively or don’t make it part of their overall marketing strategy. It is very easy to collect testimonials.

The easiest way to get testimonials is through a paper or e-surveying process either done annually to all customers or individually after jobs are completed. In the survey add the question “Is there anything you think we do particularly well or anyone you want to recognize?” You will quickly get dozens of testimonials to use. All you need to do is immediately send back the comments to the customer asking their permission to use in marketing.

99% of the time they will say “sure” and now you have your dozens of testimonials. Another way is to add an approval box after the question asking their permission to use any comments in your marketing efforts. Any checked off are fair game to use and you have documentation that they gave the OK to use it. Good luck!

The fastest way to grow your business is by selling more to existing customers or clients. Studies by several large corporations have shown that it takes up to 10 times more effort, marketing and selling, to obtain a new customer versus selling more to existing customers. It is only logical: less barriers to entry, your knowledge of key decision makers, their knowledge of your business, ease of getting meetings, comfort to ask pointed questions, ease of getting introductions to others, ease of showing new products and services. The list of obvious advantages goes on and on.

Then why don’t more businesses create a usage or buy matrix for their existing customer base? Because it takes time, sometimes systems don’t support easy reporting, and as business owners or corporate executives, sometimes we value slaying the dragon(competition) or closing a brand new customer much more than cultivating and selling to existing customers. Even sales managers put a bigger bogie or bonus on slaying another dragon or promoting a “hunter” philosophy rather than just driving client share or what sales people call “farming”. Hunters are more valued and rightly so when growing a business where it is tough to get into new accounts or markets. However, sometimes we spend way too much time hunting and many times let our competition bite at our heels, taking the business we should get but don’t, because of our passive nature of staying at the same product or service mix sold into the account.

Take the time to create an excel sheet if that is all you have. Put along the top of the excel sheet all the products and services you can sell to your customers; a product or service per column heading. Along the right side in the first column list all your clients or customers. Put a check mark under any product or service they are currently buying from you. Now you have a roadmap for conversations to discover with your customers what else they may need. Small businesses can do this by working with an intern or getting help from office personnel. Larger corporations should set up systems to pull this from their order fulfillment reporting.

We must all keep an eye on this tremendous customer intelligence to get to the next level of sales and serve our customers to the fullest. If there is a need and we feel confident we can fulfill that need, then we should pursue it with every customer.

Jamestown, RI, March 23, 2009 – As part of its commitment to help printers develop profitable, highly responsive, customer-focused organizations, Survey Advantage ( www.surveyadvantage.com), a customer research and loyalty firm, has released a new report for all CustomerPulse™ customers. The report tracks customer loyalty and a referral rating continuously, and benchmarks real-time with other printers.

“It is great that the different printing industry MIS systems are incorporating CustomerPulse™ into their customer management processes. This enables printers to select jobs and contacts to send a survey in just five minutes a week. With low administration time the printer can now get the same customer intelligence the hospitality industry has been collecting for years. Now any size printer can obtain feedback after jobs are shipped helping them gauge loyalty, promote referral programs, and drive improvements.” said Michael Casey, president of Survey Advantage.

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In January 2009, 205 independent quick printers shared their thoughts on the question “Where do you think the top growth opportunities are in 2009?” Digital printing is on the minds of 82% of quick printers. The ability to make short runs quickly, managing staffing levels, and training time are key drivers of this investment. After that quick printers see mailing services (56%) and large format (28%) as the next most important to growing their business. Marketing services, web design, promotion products were all in the low 20’s or teens in the percentage seeing these areas as growth areas.

It is amazing how many quick printer customers still don’t view their printer as a mailing house or someone who can do large format. As an example, in a recent print buyer study we asked the awareness question for these services. We surveyed the customer base of a quick printer asking thier customers about awareness of each product and service. Only 25% of their customers were aware they offered bulk mail and 70% large format. The interesting thing was that many customers stressed their interest in learning more.

You can’t assume that customers will remember you just by mailing a few flyers and mentioning it a few times. Get creative on your messaging. Becoming a marketing service provider starts under your roof. Launch that new service this year and measure awareness as you go. A good goal to shot for is over 90% awareness.

Marine service providers are encouraged to compare how they are meeting the needs of boaters with others in the industry.

Jamestown, RI, March 6, 2009 – As part of its commitment to help marine service providers develop profitable, highly responsive, customer-focused organizations, Survey Advantage (www.surveyadvantage.com), a customer research and loyalty firm, has released their 2008 benchmarks for marinas and boatyards. This benchmark report was designed in cooperation with AMI and ABBRA, the two major associations serving the marine services industry. The report tracks four key areas: facility quality, marine service quality, customer service, and boater loyalty.

“We hope this benchmark will help marine service providers understand their competitive position in the market and set goals for expansion and improvement. Marine service providers now have the same customer intelligence the hospitality industry has been collecting for years. Any size operation can obtain feedback after jobs, transient stays, or from seasonal and annual customers to drive improvements and referrals.” said Michael Casey, president of Survey Advantage.

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