Not all businesses sell their products or services directly to consumers. Many companies sell to other companies. If your business offers wholesale products of any sort, you’ll probably sell more of them to businesses in the retail sector than to ordinary consumers. Alternatively, you might offer a service that other businesses need to succeed, such as website design or marketing. There are several advantages of operating in the ‘business-to-business’ (or B2B) market space. For example, according to the website Chron, “business-to-business clients order more products and spend more money than retail clients”. However, even in the B2B market, you still need to market your products carefully. Here at PrintUK.com, we believe that printing and printed marketing materials can help. In today’s blog, we’ll look at how to deploy printed materials to generate B2B sales.
1. Initiating contact professionally
Reaching out to other businesses in the hope of making a sale can be a delicate process. After all, you need to demonstrate that you are highly professional and competent. It’s important that your potential client sees that your business is just as legitimate as theirs, or they may not trust you to supply them with products or services that you offer. If you happen to meet a potential client in person, we suggest initiating contact using a business card. Business cards project a sense of professionalism and also enable you to provide a lot of information about your business in a very concise, efficient way. If you choose to reach out to a prospective buyer via mail, we recommend that you write it on a custom printed letterhead that shows your corporate logo and registered address. This simple touch gives your business a more legitimate appearance and shows that you take the process of making contact seriously.
2. Showcasing your products
Once you have initiated contact with a potential B2B client, you need to show them that your products are right for their business. While you might use websites, leaflets or flyers to entice ordinary consumers, businesses tend to require more information before they commit to a purchase. We therefore suggest providing your prospective client with a printed brochure or information pack that carefully explains your products or services. Brochure printing as a marketing material allows you to contain a lot of information but also enables you to retain the focused, professional sensibility that you established when initiating contact.
3. Retaining clients
Once a B2B client has purchased your products or services once, you need to work hard to retain that client. Sending out regular letters or folded leaflets notifying the client of developments in your business (such as improvements to your products and services) can help. Once again, these leaflets or letters should be printed on official custom stationery. You may also wish to send out advertising materials (such as catalogues or more brochures) to reiterate the quality of your products or services.
Before beginning your design and print campaign within the B2B sector its worth reading one of our previous articles: How The Use Of Colour In Design Can Influence Your Customers 
Here at PrintUK.com, we offer brochure printing, letterhead printing and business card printing along with a wide range of other graphic design and printing services. If you work in the B2B sector, contact us today or check out our range of products and we can send you bespoke quotes for your next marketing campaign.