Portugal based Xerox channel partner Beltrão Coelho increased leads by 40% the week they announced their latest big win for managed print services (MPS). That’s an impressive number and a good reminder of the value of a customer success story.
To find out how Beltrão Coelho turned their customer’s success into marketing gold, I spoke with Eduardo Lucena, Marketing Manager at Beltrão Coelho.
He shares three tips below, but before I get into those, let’s take a look at the customer that helped create their story.
Find a forward-thinking customer
The Instituto Politécnico de Santarém (IPSantarém), or Polytechnic Institute of Santarém, is a five-college system in Portugal with 4,000 students and more than 500 employees. As a technology-focused institution, IPSantarém must maintain a reputation for staying on the cutting-edge of technology. And, since it is a public institution, it’s always mindful of operating costs. When it came to printing, however, IPSantarém’s approach fell short in both areas. They faced an array of challenges related to printing hardware/software management and document management that drove up costs and frustrations. Fortunately, Beltrão Coelho’s custom, comprehensive MPS solution quickly turned things around.
Three tips for selecting the right customer
Here are Eduardo Lucena’s thoughts on why this was a good customer to feature along with how his team develops winning case studies.
1 Focus on big problems and make sure it’s real
Lucena says IPSantarém was an ideal candidate for a case study because they faced big challenges that were easily solved by combining a number of out-of-the-box solutions into a customized strategy. “Our golden rule is that a case study should be real, and must show how we solve a big client problem in a way no other company can” says Lucena. “A good case study is also the culmination of a well-structured MPS process which includes rigorous analysis, custom design, and a well-executed implementation. Careful contract management focused on the client experience is our top priority,” he adds.
2 Show prospects who you are and what you’re capable of
To attract attention, Lucena emphasized the importance for partners to avoid riding the coattails of Xerox success stories. He acknowledges that Xerox case studies are interesting and enriching, but as he puts it, “we believe that when we show our own successes, it highlights what a local company can create with Xerox solutions. And, that awareness is essential to standing out in the crowd.”
3 It’s all about the client
According to Lucena, the reason Beltrão Coelho exists is to “transform a client into a business partner.” By that he means not only delivering the solution a customer needs, but also making them feel proud of what they’ve accomplished. “We want customers to feel like a part of our process and by doing so, they become motivated to share their stories. The more we involve our customers the better because the best content for telling a success story comes from within the customer,” he says.
Great for business – great for morale
Lucena also notes that Beltrão Coelho doesn’t publish customer stories until solutions have been implemented and running smoothly for a while. And when everything comes together, Lucena says it’s great for business and morale. “ The week we made the announcement available on social media, our leads increased by 40%. Moreover, internally, our employees—especially those directly involved with the customer—feel proud when we announce our joint successes. Our company works with social business tool Yammer, and, that week, the positive comments about this case study exceeded all expectations.” Positive feedback in the form of hard data helps the entire company feel prouder, more cheerful and, more importantly, motivated,” he concluded.
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This is a great insight Ana Sofia and Eduardo – many thanks for sharing.