3 Things That You are Overlooking When Processing Orders

To my tangible product creators, this post is for you!  There is a plethora of business information out there (webinars, e-books, e-courses, etc.) which I've found targets businesses that don't make/sell tangible products.  If there was mention of tips for tangible product creators, the section was small.  Now, it's true that the same business principals apply whether you sell a physical product or a service, but when it comes to physical products, there are a few more steps that you can take advantage of that someone selling services may not have the opportunity to do.

1. Handwritten thank you notes to EVERY customer.
Depending on the amount of orders you process in a month, this may be a huge task.  Look at it this way, though, each order has to be packaged individually anyway.  Take the extra 30 seconds to tell the customer thank you in your handwriting.  It gives an instant connection and may create a repeat customer.
Tip:  If time really isn't on your side for this one, you can delegate this task out. Provide a guideline on what you would want the thank you notes to say so that everyone can be on the same page.  Even if you aren't physically writing it, a representative of your company is, and that's still golden.

2. Branding and Logo Placement
As a business owner of physical products, you have direct access to your customers.  I'm talking about their mailing address.  I'm not saying to knock on their door and thank them for being a customer, because that would be stalky.  I am saying, though, that you are sending something to them, so take advantage of that luxury!  Your logo should be on everything.  This means on your product, shipping label, receipt/packing slip, etc.  Put that sucker everywhere that makes sense!  What this looks like for me is the following:

• Logo and URL on the back of every greeting card and art print.
• Product packaging label with my logo and URL to seal each product.
• Logo and URL on the packing slip/receipt .
• Logo and URL on the shipping label and I have created a template for it so that the fonts, spacing, etc. are consistent with my brand.

3. Including a Business Card
Some people love them, some people don't.  I say it's still a great idea to send your customers one or two business cards with each order.  You never know who they know or if someone may inquire about your product.  If they have your business card they can hand it to them and you may have just made a new customer!

I hope these points have encouraged you to take another look at your processes.  As a bonus, I have created a free checklist of all of the steps that I take when filling an order from beginning to end.  You can either print the 5x7 out to keep on your desk as a reminder, or you can keep the 8x10 file on your computer desktop to open and check off each item as you complete it (the pdf is clickable!).  If you are trying to get a process together for your own business or would like a new perspective, download the checklist now!