USPS employees submitted more than 116,000 sales leads during the fiscal year that concluded Sept. 30, generating more than $990 million in estimated annualized revenue for the organization.
The percentage of employees who participated in the lead generation programs more than doubled during the year, from 8 percent to 17 percent.
“Postal Service employees understand the need to generate new revenue and they worked hard throughout the year to talk to business customers about using our products and services,” said Mary Anderson, small-business engagement director at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC.
To build on its success, the Small Business Sales team has embarked on Race for a Billion, a yearlong campaign that aims to generate $1 billion in estimated annualized revenue through employee leads.
The Postal Service offers several programs that allow employees to submit leads: Customer Connect (for letter carriers), Rural Reach (for rural carriers), Clerks Care (for retail associates and distribution clerks), Mail Handlers (for plant employees) and Submit a Lead (for everyone else, including Executive and Administrative Schedule employees).
The Small Business and Lead Generation Programs Blue page has more information.
Gurmej Singh, a Livermore, CA, rural carrier, recently learned the importance of talking to customers about their mailing and shipping needs.
Singh noticed a business on his route was using another shipper and submitted the company’s name through Rural Reach. A USPS sales representative then contacted the business owner, who agreed to ship the firm’s products through the Postal Service, generating $748,000 in new estimated annualized revenue.
“I’m happy to get [new business]. … That’s good for the Postal Service,” Singh said.
Said Anderson: “Not every lead will result in a million dollars, but if every employee does their part, we can all help reach the $1 billion mark next year.”