7. Strengthen Customer Outreach
The Postal Service is looking to new opportunities to reach potential customers and markets. New revenue partnerships will be formed by developing new contacts and strengthening existing customer relationships. The entire workforce will be enabled to grow business through new tools, training, and teamwork.
Expand Small Business Markets
Employee outreach to households and small businesses will continue through the Customer Connect and Business Connect programs. Both programs encourage carriers, postmasters, and station and branch managers to reach out to small business customers to promote the convenience and value of postal services. Efforts to increase employee participation in these programs will boost revenue generation among small business customers.
The Postal Service will continue to develop and deploy resources to support higher revenue-potential small businesses so that an appropriate handoff is available when significant opportunities are identified through the Customer Connect and Business Connect programs. Additional Business Development teams staffed with Small Business Specialists will be formed to lead local sales initiatives, conduct face-to-face meetings and seminars, and help neighboring businesses understand the value and convenience of the mail.
Focus Commercial Sales Effort
Nearly three-quarters of total postal revenue comes from high-volume commercial customers. Some of these customers prepare their own mail, but many use service providers to handle various aspects of their mailing needs. The Postal Service sales force works closely with both customers and service providers, helping to best match postal solutions with individual corporate business objectives. Service providers add value to mail creation, handling six of every ten pieces entered into the postal system. They specialize in integrated marketing strategies, develop direct mail copy and graphics, provide mailing list selection and management, or print, sort, and prepare mail for entry. Some furnish all services.
As partners in expanding the market for mail, service providers represent an important area of growth, and the Postal Service will dedicate sales personnel to manage this opportunity. The strategy positions postal business solutions for broader marketplace acceptance and will help both customers and service providers better understand and incorporate new technology such as Intelligent Mail. New sales professionals will promote best practices for direct mail and package shipping across this prolific business partner channel to improve customer access to mail while increasing mail volume and revenue.
Increase the Visibility of Commercial Accounts Usage
To distinguish mail owners as the actual source of postal revenue from service providers, who facilitate the use of mail, the Postal Service will focus on more targeted account structures. Improved commercial mail acceptance provides a flow of information among “owners,” service providers, and the Postal Service. The IM barcode provides mailer identification in the processing and transportation networks. Mailer IDs embedded in the barcodes will allow for consistent customer reporting, eliminate manual data corrections, and make additional data metrics available.