Welcome to round four of my blogging duel with Matthew Parker. TEAM USA is claiming victory for the last THREE rounds based upon your feedback – that’s a 3-0 record!!! TEAM UK is a formidable and knowledgeable opponent, and if he rallies support from his ginourmous fan base I will be singing a new tune (or buying him cake!) – so PLEASE keep voting TEAM USA here, and anywhere else you may see our posts out there!
Quickly – here are the rules:
Each month Matthew and I formulate a topic question and both write posts in response that are 500 words or less. We set a deadline, and trade posts to see what the other has written, and post our blogs on our respective sites. I include a link to Matthew’s response at the end of mine, he does the same, and then we leave it up to all of you to decide which answer is best – however you define that. Some might agree we me, or with Matthew, or with both of us, or neither – whatever it may be, we want to know!
Please leave a comment below or where it best suits you and follow #UKvUSA on Twitter for some extra fun! And now… on to this month’s duel!!
Poignant topic since it’s Trade Show season, and also a sensitive topic since sooooo many agency buyers have zero support from their companies to attend, and zero chance of attending a local show if they don’t live in, or near, one of the usual suspect hosting cities. I think I am going to use my time here to try and convince the PRINTERS out there to help get buyers to the shows!
Ok, if you are a Printer heading to a trade show, you are going to see what is new out there and research and/or purchase products and services from exhibitors. Fantastic! Now what if you took one day, or a few hours of a day, and dedicated that to walking the show floor with a gaggle of buyers – Are your wheels spinning yet?
Using GRAPH EXPO as the example since it’s next week and there are LOTS of print buyers in Chicagoland – here are five reasons you should make a plan now to have them with you at McCormick Place
• The ROI on a hiring a taxi service van (or a party bus!) and getting the buyers to a PRINT SHOW – will be exponential. Have them meet at your shop, and after a QUICK TOUR, hop in the bus and off you go to the CMYK Magic Kingdom. Register with code PMC14 and everyone goes for FREE!
• Schedule an appointment with the company your press is from, and arrange for a “private” tour of the booth. VIP treatment makes buyers feel special, and gives YOU industry cred!
• Research products and services to show buyers that fall into the “value add” category. This can be really cool finishing – like COLD FOIL, LASERS, or dare I say SCODIX!… Or software that can aid in customization… or NEW papers and substrates (buyers LOVE PAPER!)… or marketing technology that can help bridge print and digital. You get what I mean.
• Speaking of new and cool, take a spin through the 3D, Wide Format and Inkjet printers. Give the buyers something “big industry picture” to learn about. Anything related to packaging too. They will appreciate being in the know of what is going out there, even if it’s not what they do.
• After you complete your well-researched and planned itinerary, leave some time for your newly devoted buyer friends to roam around. On the ride back, use the time to find out what inspired the buyers, and see if they have any questions. A week or so after the show, send them all a packet of info on what is possible with the products they saw (using YOU to print), and answers to their questions – personalized of course!
Take a look at the shows coming up in your area and see what you can do to create better, smarter, and more knowledgeable customers! And if you are coming to GRAPH EXPO, I hope to see you in The Printerverse!
Now that you’ve read my post… see what MATTHEW PARKER had to say on the topic!
Look out for our #UKvUSA battle next month: “Why print buyers will never read your emails!”
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