A more intense, strategic focus on customer retention could revolutionize your business.

That was the key theme author Joey Coleman, chief experience composer at customer experience branding firm Design Symphony, hammered home in the opening keynote at skuconX on Sunday, Jan. 14, in Las Vegas.

Upwards of 350 promo pros attended skuconX.

Coleman told the approximately 350 promotional products professionals attending the all-day conference produced by commonsku, a Toronto-headquartered provider of business and sales software to the promo industry, that upping retention rates by just 5% can supercharge profit anywhere from 25% to 100%.

“How big would your business be if every customer you ever did business with was still with you?” Coleman invited the audience to imagine.

The good news, Coleman asserted, is that far better customer retention is achievable. If a customer is still a client after 100 days, they’ll stick around for a minimum of five years, he said.

How to get to day 101 and beyond?

Master helping customers through what Coleman described as eight phases they can experience with your business.

Joey Coleman talks customer retention at skuconX.

A customer will assess you, admit you can help, and need affirmation they made the right choice to work with you. Next, you must provide a stellar experience as the relationship activates, and acclimate the client to working with your firm as frictionlessly as possible. “You need to hold their hand as they navigate the process,” Coleman said.

When things go well, it’s important for you to celebrate the client and thank them with things like personalized gifts and messages, Coleman said. Get all this right, and customers can move to desirable phases seven and eight: They’ll become adopters – loyal to your company – and even advocates, telling others what a good job you do.

“Lay the foundation for a long relationship in the first 100 days,” Coleman said.

Coleman’s talk kicked off a conference that saw a slate of speakers addressing pressing promo topics that ranged from the future of the industry, sustainability and diversity/inclusion to brand engagement, the role of content creation in business-building, supply chain issues, economic outlook and more. There were also shorter, personal talks – “skucon stories” – in which several industry pros shared emotional tales that told of promo’s interweaving with their personal and professional journeys.

This was the 10^th skucon.

“I can honestly say that the energy and momentum in our industry has never been stronger,” said Mark Graham, president and chief brand officer at commonsku, as well as a member of Counselor’s Power 50 list of promo’s most influential people.

Graham continued: “We’re thrilled to bring together new challenger brands and world-class thinkers to learn about client-obsessed insights and brand engagement, and to share the real and raw stories from the trenches that make this industry great. To kick off 2024 with such a vibrant community is a privilege.”

A few of the highlights from the day included:

–Denise Taschereau, co-founder/CEO of Vancouver, BC-based Fairware (asi/191452), a certified B Corp, talked about “future-proofing” promo, sharing how the industry can advance to become collectively stronger. Ways forward include increased collaboration and focusing on making positive impacts through responsible sourcing, genuine sustainability practices, and sincere diversity/inclusion initiatives. Doing a better job marketing/educating customers on the incredible value promotional products provide, including by using data on promo’s power that’s available from sources like ASI, is also pivotal, Taschereau said.

Catherine Graham of commonsku interviews Jeremy Lott of SanMar (asi/84863) and Jonathan Isaacson of Gemline (asi/56070) at skucon.

–An afternoon session featured three Counselor Power 50 members. Catherine Graham, CEO of commonsku, hosted the in-depth Q&A. Jonathan Isaacson, chairman of Top 40 supplier Gemline (asi/56070), and Jeremy Lott, CEO/president of  Top 40 supplier SanMar (asi/84863), gave answers on hard-hitting topics. Some highlights: Lott and Isaacson both believe growth is ahead for promo in 2024, though Lott thinks it’s poised to be somewhat “anemic.” While supply chain disruption resulting from things like fighting in the Middle East and the draught at the Panama Canal is an issue, Lott and Isaacson believe their companies – and suppliers more broadly – are prepared to tackle the challenges. “It’s the world we live in,” said Isaacson.

–Kirby Hasseman, CEO of Ohio-based distributor Hasseman Marketing & Communications (asi/221824), told attendees that it’s pivotal to understand who your ideal customer is and to pursue working with clients that fit that mold. Identify industries, regions and/or client types that you work especially well with and delve into those. “If everyone is your customer, then no one is your customer,” said Hasseman, who also emphasized that consistently creating blogs, videos, social media posts and other content that entertains, informs, educates and/or helps target clients can accelerate sales.

–Reba Joy, director of environmental and social impact at Top 40 distributor Genumark (asi/204588), shared the story of how being part of an inclusive promo team of free-spirited, multi-faceted, creative thinkers who leveraged their idiosyncrasies as strengths on the job, rather than elements to be tucked away, helped her find herself professionally and personally as a nonbinary person. When a company’s team members are empowered in this way, they have much more energy to devote to collaboration, business building and creating a “community you’re proud to be part of,” said Joy. That ultimately leads to more success.