Stunningly Simple: An Uncoated Viewbook Beats Out the Bling
In the past, my client sent top prospects a glitzy book — a sales-oriented white paper. It was packaged in a royal purple turned-edge leather binder with a branded silver clasp. Bling-a-bling-bling! The white paper (created by a big-name agency) was crammed with features and benefits, had pie charts and QR codes, and the typical […]
Sales Notes from a Campaign Trail
Sales Notes from a Campaign Trail Having just run for a seat on my town council, campaigning for two solid months, and having not only won but having received the most votes of anyone in my district, including two popular incumbents, I can tell you that the metaphors for campaigning and sales wrote themselves. Campaigning […]
Print Samples: Pushing the Envelope
The folks at the Envelope Manufacturer’s Association have a mission – envelopes. But it is more than that! They share ideas, compare notes on things like keeping staff motivated, finding staff, and finding that all-too-precious commodity – the paper and other substrates used to manufacture the envelope. At their last meeting, there were vibrant discussions […]
Now Playing at a Theater Near You: PRINT!
I recently wrote an article about the return of the theater experience for the Ricoh Business Booster site where I am an active contributor, providing info and intel for developing long-term relationships with print customers and sharing creative ideas for generating new business. The Business Booster site is accessible to members only, and my posts […]
Are QR Codes Being Used Effectively In Direct Mail?
Last month’s Have QR Codes Finally Reached Their Glory Days? Blog post illustrated the resurgence of the QR code in marketing. When looking through my mail the other day I decided to take a look at how companies are using the QR codes in their direct mail. The following direct mails were analyzed from both […]
Is Your Print Business Maximizing the Value of Your Customers?
What is a customer worth to your business? The simplest calculation is your customer lifetime value (CLV), which is the profit you expect to earn from an average customer over the life of your business relationship with that customer. To simplify, suppose your average customer buys $10,000 in print annually and stays with you for […]
Packaging Design Meets Graphic Design
Startups juggle many things when launching products. It is a combination of taking care of business and a labor of love to make sure every detail is just right. While there is a great deal of excitement around tweaking the product, finding customers, marketing, and getting distribution channels, it is tempting to push packaging to […]
Do You Have What it Takes to Build Your Print Business?
Many years ago my printer called me to ask me to help Ed, a customer who was struggling financially and more than 120 days behind in payments. “Ed’s a great guy,” the printer said, “It’s a long shot, but if there’s any hope of getting his business turned around, we think you’re the one who […]
Know, Like Trust: Funneling Suspects into Sales
Most people who have been in sales for even a few short years have heard about The SALES FUNNEL. You might have first encountered a sales funnel the first time you were introduced to a CRM like Salesforce, where the opportunity manager helped you see how big your pipeline was and helped you strategize how […]
Email Marketing is Easy, Affordable, and Gets Results
Email is a basic tool, but it is very powerful and has decades of marketing practices behind it. It’s perfect for a printing company on a budget. Using affordable and strategic marketing tools such as email on a regular schedule will help plant your brand firmly and positively in your prospect’s mind. BENEFITS OF EMAIL […]
The Intersection of Branding and Packaging
Packaging is designed to contain, protect, and transport products. Packaging provides a fourth purpose – to inform the consumer. The information on a package can be a deciding factor during the 7 seconds an average consumer spends to make a purchase decision. Approximately 70% of shoppers are influenced by packaging to some extent. The package […]
Do All Your Employees Know the Elevator Pitch of Your Print Business?
No. The answer is no, they don’t. Some of your employees are non-customer-facing so MAYBE it’s not necessary for them to learn your company’s pitch. Or MAYBE it is. What about your customer-facing employees? Your sales, customer service, and marketing staff? Do they all deliver roughly the same pitch or do they all tell the […]
