How to Turn Product Sample Requests into Powerful Lead Nurturing Opportunities that Create More Conversions.

If you’re a building products brand that manufactures siding, trim, roofing, decking, flooring, and virtually any other product that comes in colors and textures, you’re probably sending out samples to homeowners — as well as architects, contractors, and dealers. Well, we got this. One of our core services is cutting full sized, building products materials down to size, labeling those samples, and integrating with our customers’ websites so we can deliver those samples on their behalf. And with nearly 30 years’ experience delivering samples for our building products customers under our belts, we’ve learned quite a lot about optimizing sample fulfillment and turning those prospects into customers.

Think about it:

Even though you have significant competition out there, this homeowner went to your website and took the first step in getting to know you — they asked for samples of your products.  One of our more shocking observations during our work with so many other customers, and very likely many of your competitors, is just how many building products brands make the mistake of sending out samples — and never following up with the homeowner. Did you know that upwards of 75% of sample requesters will become customers if they are treated like lead nurturing opportunities?

So how can you fully exploit the sales potential of the sample you just sent to this curious homeowner, and just maybe turn that curiosity into passion? When they requested a sample, your website very likely captured not only their home address, but also their email and possibly, phone number. Are you using the data you collected for additional follow up? Your staff is likely busy with many tasks. Is there an automated process in place to ensure lead nurturing tasks are not falling through the cracks? At MSS, there is. We have developed automated, comprehensive lead nurturing protocols that can be deployed alone, or as a powerful integrated conversion campaigns. Our Sample Lead Concierge program uses four outreach tactics that can include automated emails, texts, postcards, and even live calls from our in-house contact center staff. Here’s a deeper dive:

Automated Emails

One of the most fundamental must-haves for nurturing each sample requester is an automated email package. At the very least, you should be sending send them a well-planned series of follow up emails. Each sample requester should receive at least four emails, and those emails should be tailored to the interests they expressed when selecting their samples from your website. This is your opportunity to cross sell and upsell these prospects with your accessories, customized products, and aspirational lifestyle language. And you should make each lead a value-add to your retailer and contractors by sharing these homeowner leads with your favorite partners. We can integrate with your dealer and contractor locator databases and include their contact information right in each email!  Here’s an outline of what that email follow up might look like:

Automated Text Messages

If the sample requester provided their cell phone number, another nurturing tactic may include text messaging. The same basic messaging protocol used for emails, can be abbreviated, and used for text campaigns. You could send the texts and the emails in tandem, to elevate awareness building by courting the lead on two platforms. Of course, like emails, you need to include opt-out messaging, just in case.

Deployment: Synchronized with emails

On-Demand, Personalized Postcards

Another powerful strategy would be the use of auto-generated, postcards using imagery that directly reflects their sample request.  Let’s say they looked at your Dover Gray decking material. Assuming you have image libraries, we could send them a postcard with one to three deck ideas from your approved, image galleries. It could be several deck designs, preferably in the same color they ordered. Even better, if your image libraries are generated using CGI engines, you may have comprehensive product color galleries already created. If you don’t, MSS does have CGI partners who can do this work for you, which could not only be used in these postcard campaigns, but also to provide your entire marketing and sales teams with a greatly expanded, product and hero shot galleries to use across several other marketing mediums. Note, generating these custom postcards on-demand could be a completely automated process. MSS can load your image assets into our digital printing database — and customized with your product imagery! We would create simple programming that would assign prospect-specific imagery to print and deliver to your sample requesters. Again, the messaging could be very similar and synchronized with the same messaging deployed via emails.

Outbound Follow-up Calls

Nothings says ‘personal touch and commitment’ more than a phone call from a real human being. We have found that integrating a single, personal follow up call is an extremely powerful relationship building tactic, that usually leaves prospects saying, “wow, that was nice touch. I like these folks.” As far as conversational content, we would create one to two outreach conversations that may look something like this:

Deployment: Synchronized with emails and text message outreach

Hi prospect. I’m Sally from the (your brand name) concierge team, just touching base to see if you received your samples, and to learn if there is anything we can do to help you with your new deck building journey. I see you ordered our dover grey decking planks – were you happy with the color, or would you like to see other shades? Are you aware of our color coordinated railing and lighting packages? Also, I’d just like to make you aware that we have approved dealers and contractors near you. I’d be happy to email or text you those partners contact information if you are interested.

At MSS, several of our building products customers have onboarded our in-house call center team members to be experts on a variety of brands. It’s simple. Send us your spec sheets, collateral, and pertinent web pages. Depending upon the depth of our intended conversations with these prospects, we may ask for on-boarding at your offices or via conference call training. We’ve done basic call follow up work as per the example above, as well as more sophisticated help desk work where we can field prospective dealer and contractor product and installation questions. Generally, MSS Call Center team members are up to snuff on your products and your brand voice in just a couple weeks.

So, there you have it.

A powerful, synchronized lead nurturing machine that we have deployed, and refined for the last 25 years. It works! 

Test drive this idea with your products. Free.

If you like what you see, take the next step. Using your existing materials, or new materials we create, we’ll draft and build out an MSS Lead Concierge campaign specifically for your sample program. We’ll provide you with email and postcard layouts, as well as scripts for text and call center outreach. If you like what you see, we’ll refine and talk about how to deploy a test campaign for you, either as a pilot for select products, or across your entire product spectrum.  This will be cool.
And this one is on us.