“Colourful mix” at igus
Creative online customer appointments

igu-blog-adm | 5. May 2021

The world is happening online. Perhaps you have already taken part in an online customer appointment? What did you think? Online appointments are no longer new. In past posts, we’ve talked about buying cables in the home office and the importance of haptics when selling cables. After a year of practice, we are well settled and yet it often takes new, creative ideas to respond individually to the client. Boring powerpoints and a monotonous conversation via screen? Our methods are different!

Creative online customer appointments

Not all customers are the same and their needs, questions and demands are also quite different. Sometimes you have to get creative and offer the customer something new. For example, I put together a special surprise package for the last online customer meeting and sent it to the participants in advance by post.

The surprise effect, which has worked for children for many years in the form of chocolate eggs with little toys inside, also works for adults. A package with a wide variety of contents arouses curiosity and raises questions. Questions that help me as a product manager to understand where the customer stands.

I tested this surprise effect at the last online appointment with the customer. With success.

The colourful mixture makes the difference

The package was not just a surprise egg that the customer had not expected, but a kind of colourful mixture from the corner shop next door.

And such a colourful bag has it all. It not only arouses curiosity, but also makes you want more. Everyone can pick out what they like, or in our case, what interests them.

For example, one participant saw our sample of the chainflex CASE, picked it up and started asking questions. A good way for me to introduce this product without being pushy.

Some people discover things in the colourful mix that they have never seen before but always wanted to try.

What does the surprise package contain?

The package for creative online appointments included everything you need for an online appointment such as pens, notepads, samples and some nourishment for the nerves. For the samples, I not only focused on my field of expertise of cables, but also added chain samples. It is important that customers can actually touch cables. The same applies to the chain. Many questions only arise when you hold the products in your hands, understand the correlations and possible problems related to your own application.

Customers not only had questions that they could ask right away by touching and admiring the samples. Questions that would certainly not have come to you without the visual presentation of the package. No, every now and then you could also hear the rustling of the igus gummy bear bags during the video conference.

It shows that we have to stay creative. That we can “pick up” and respond to clients despite the lack of face-to-face appointments. I’m sure every salesperson or product manager does it in his or her own way. For me, this method has proven its worth.

It combines a lot of information to touch, at the same time loosens up the situation and brings people into conversation despite the online event. Because many don’t cope well with online discussions rather than face-to-face.

This box is just one example of many possibilities. Depending on the customer and the appointment, a very personal package can be put together here and forms a wonderful basis for a nice, informative and relaxed online appointment.

Reactions of the customer

Our colourful mix was successful. A creative online customer appointment with a wow effect. The participants were enthusiastic about the idea and the approach.

Even the greeting was overloaded with enthusiasm: “Wow, no one has ever done anything like this before.”

At the end of the conversation, the customer said: “That was really something different, it was really fun and we were able to learn a lot.”

So the colourful bag is not only available at the corner shop, but also at igus. Including gummy bears.

Are you also interested in a personal meeting or an individual online appointment? Do you need samples to touch or more information about the chainflex CASE? Let me know.