Business Management - Marketing/Sales

For the last six months, we have paraded a variety of ghost bloggers in front of you. At this point, however, the well is dry. We have no backlog of material awaiting its turn to be published.

Small businesses are depending mainly on traditional communications channels to market to customers and prospects, not tracking results and missing opportunities to incorporate multichannel communications to increase those response rates, according to the findings of a “Small Business Marketing Survey” recently conducted by Pitney Bowes.

“Dancessence” embodies not only the emotional and physical essence of the dancers photographed, but of the very reason coffee table art books are treasured possessions. The cover wrap that surrounds this Smyth-sewn book is a custom color match, handmade Nepalese paper (from Legion Paper). A debossed frame holds a small tipped-in image that suggests the delights within.

A great sales year creates the risk of the manager thinking something REALLY crazy—something like doubling your business—is possible. Twenty percent year-to-year growth is one thing, but what if you were asked to double your sales in 2013?

The title says it all. In this week’s “Short Attention Span Webinar,” Kelly and I talk about the five traits that can be found in a successful printing sales rep. Enjoy!

Attending GRAPH EXPO 2012 or another upcoming trade show? Consider using a low-cost postcard mailing to capture valuable lead-generation information. Running a contest with a prize during the show can be a good way to maximize the gathering of contact information for prospects.

As most printers know, and hopefully appreciate, designers can be persnickety when it comes to our work. A printer does not a designer make...and vice-versa. Here are a few tidbits to help you bridge the gap.

Long gone are the days when a sales rep can act like an order taker and expect to get new business by just being there. Get inside the customer's situation. With a few key questions, a genuine interest, and creative ideas about what your company can produce, you can impress a brand-new prospect to trust your judgment.

Last week, I got an email from a marketing guy at a wholesale printer in the great state of Texas. In response to my blog about how important passion is to your selling life, he sent me this video.

I remember reading a comic strip years ago in which a bunch of people were exiting a conference room and someone was yelling, “...and we’ll keep having these meetings until we figure out why nothing ever gets done around here!”