During a recent tour of the Luling, LA, Post Office, the St. Charles Parish fire chief struck up a conversation with Customer Services Supervisor Frank Noto Jr.
The chief was looking for a low-cost way to deliver the fire department’s newsletter to all residents of the parish.
Noto was sure the Postal Service could help, so he worked with his local business development specialists to contact the chief.
Through the Business Connect program, Noto’s action generated an additional $25,575 in revenue for the Postal Service.
USPS wants to generate many more sales like this.
The organization has designated August as the first-ever Business Connect Month, a campaign to celebrate the program and the Postmasters, managers and supervisors who participate.
“These managers hold very high positions within their communities and have the capability to impact their local businesses’ bottom line as well as generate new revenue for the Postal Service,” said Mary Anderson, director of small-business sales at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC.
Business Connect began in 2005 as a way for Postmasters, managers and supervisors to initiate discussions with customers about USPS products and services.
Since its inception, the program has brought in more than 7.4 million leads and has generated more than $3.5 billion in new estimated annualized revenue, including more than $225 million for the current fiscal year.
“The goal during Business Connect Month is to thank past participants for their efforts, but more importantly, to get all current Postmasters, managers and supervisors to get out into the beautiful summer weather and look for new business,” said Louis DeRienzo, small-business senior sales specialist at USPS headquarters.
The Small-Business Sales team is sending out a special mailing and Business Connect kit to support the managers’ efforts, DeRienzo said.
To learn more about Business Connect and other leads programs, email the small-business team at smallbiz@usps.gov or go to the Small Business and Lead Generation Programs Blue page.