When economic uncertainty is causing marketing budgets and print sales to nosedive, create a Print Test Pilot Program to educate customers and share possibilities to improve their materials and desired results when they’re ready to go full throttle again.
WHAT IS A PRINT TEST PILOT PROGRAM?
A Print Test Pilot Program is a structured opportunity to collaborate with customers and prospects to test new print technology, explore unfamiliar capabilities, and co-create test projects without sales pressure. It’s education through innovation and collaboration.
GOALS OF THE PROGRAM
– Increase awareness of your full print capabilities
– Encourage experimentation with new technology
– Train internal teams with live projects
– Build relationships and trust with customers/prospects
– Generate success stories and future business
STEP-BY-STEP LAUNCH PLAN
DEFINE YOUR MISSION
Identify the tech, tools, or techniques you want to test:
Variable Data Printing
Specialty Ink/Coatings
New Substrates
Finishing (die-cutting, folding, etc.)
Workflow Automation
Other: _______________________
SELECT YOUR TEST PILOTS
Invite 5–10 participants:
Current Customers
Dormant Accounts
Strategic Prospects
Customer and Partner Referrals
BUILD YOUR PRINT TEST PILOT BRIEFING FORM
These details help you to introduce capabilities that support the project’s mission
Project Name
Customer Goal
Target Audience
Preferred Format or Specs
Creative Assets Provided/Require Creation
Include a list of capabilities with checkboxes for the ones they’d like to explore.
CREATE A PERSONALIZED INVITATION TEMPLATE
You’ve been cleared for takeoff to join our Print Test Pilot Program!
As a qualified candidate for our exclusive Print Test Pilot Program, we invite you to climb into the cockpit and take our innovations for a spin.
This exclusive opportunity gives you access to new print capabilities, allowing you to explore fresh ideas, push creative boundaries, and stay ahead of the curve. We’ll guide you through new techniques and technologies that can take your projects to new heights.
Fasten your seatbelt. Your first-class print adventure awaits.
Include instructions to RSVP by a specific date and offer a few options for initial meetings with your print test pilot recruits.
COLLABORATE + PRINT
Start with a kickoff meeting to explain the program and set expectations.
Go over the briefing form together so everyone is aligned on goals.
Offer design help and expert guidance throughout the process.
Give participants direct access to your team for file setup questions and support.
Invite them to see their project created from pre-press through finishing.
Introduce them to everyone involved so they understand each step and who does what. This builds trust and gives customers a new perspective in pricing conversations.
DEBRIEF + DOCUMENT
Create a Print Test Pilot Completion Certificate and send it with samples of the technology they used, along with a handwritten thank you note for participating and a pilot wing pin.
Send a follow-up survey or do a quick interview:
– What did they love about the program?
– What would they change?
– What did they think about the new capabilities they tested?
– Would they use these capabilities again for a real project?
Take photos of the projects, get testimonials, and ask permission to use their story in marketing.
MARKETING + PROMOTION
– Create a “Print Test Pilot Wall” in your shop and on your website with featured projects.
– Give your customers pilot call signs like Deborah “The Kernel” Corn.
– Post “Print Test Pilot Spotlights” on social media with photos of projects and the capabilities used.
– Turn standout stories into case studies and blog posts.
– Create a Frequent Flyer Loyalty Program to reward Print Test Pilots who upgrade their projects using the technology they tested. Increase their “rank” when they incorporate something new. The ranks are One Stripe: Cadet/Training Pilot, Two Stripes: Second Officer, Three Stripes: First Officer/Co-Pilot/Senior First Officer, Four Stripes: Captain
– Host graduation and pilot rank upgrade open-house events to show off your program and printed results to customers and prospects.
– Invite local agencies, designers, and marketers to attend open house events, apply for your print test pilot program, and develop a valuable contact list for meaningful engagement, not sales. Keep them updated on the program and the results. That will sell printing upgrades.
BONUS TIP: INVOLVE YOUR VENDORS
Your paper, press, and software partners may want to partner for your print test pilot program. Invite them to supply materials, sponsor projects, and consult in the kick-off meeting. You get more resources, they get more exposure, and your customers get direct education and more value.
READY FOR TAKEOFF?
Innovation isn’t just about what you buy but what you do with it. Are you pushing your capabilities and print customer creativity to the limits?
A Print Test Pilot Program is your chance to build customer loyalty, upgrade projects to first-class, generate new revenue, and train your team while having a little fun.
START YOUR ENGINES…
PRINT LONG AND PROSPER!
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See Deborah’s recent post: 5 Critical Questions That Can Save Your Print Business from Tariff Chaos
Deborah Corn is the Intergalactic Ambassador to the Printerverse at Print Media Centr, a Print Buyerologist, international industry speaker, and blogger, and the cultivator of Print Production Professionals, the #1 print group on LinkedIn. She provides printspiration and resources to print and marketing professionals through education, events, Podcasts From The Printerverse, ProjectPeacock.TV, and an array of community-lifting initiatives, including International Print Day and Girls Who Print where she serves as the Executive Director of the global Nonprofit Organization.
Deborah also helps companies create more meaningful and profitable customer relationships by utilizing 25+ years of experience as an agency, brand, and corporate print buyer who has assessed, hired, and worked with hundreds of printers and service providers.
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