Business Management - Marketing/Sales

The last session of the PBI Boston conference was titled, “How to Source Printing in 2012: Best Practices.” What the three savvy pros from different industries said was so shocking, it blew me away. Turns out, the tried-and-true, age-old practices of print buying are still—to this day—the best and most effective ones

I got an invitation to an event by Rider Dickerson a few days ago. This is such a great example of how a printing company can also present itself as a content provider and an industry resource on topics that often extend beyond putting ink on paper.

This PaperSpecsGallery.com entry is a blue chip of an idea for any portfolio. Linking the concept of the stock certificate to a collectible piece of art (both things that increase in value in happy times) is money in the bank.

Imagine if your fears were gone. For a sales rep, that might mean doing cold calling (the equivalent of asking a pretty girl to dance). No fears. No trepidation. No hesitation. All gone. In their place: confidence, success and safety.

Your customers receive a barrage of marketing messages every day—just as you do. Use compelling personalization to stand out on such a crowded playing field. Consider creating a brochure template that allows you to quickly insert customization and get a follow-up piece in your prospects’ hands.

Over the years, I have found companies much more comfortable with taking “small steps” because they felt they were taking on less risk. Therein lies the major strategy misstep that companies fall prey to in the budgeting process.

I would like to send out a sincere and resounding “THANK YOU!” to my fellow print shop owners. You are probably down the street from me right now, angrily bossing around your minions. Or, you could be mistreating your valued vendors.

If you just need to convey a point-A-to-point-B message, feel free to use an inexpensive sheet. But other projects need to do more. They need to gain trust, convey the brand and—especially in this over-communicated world of ours—demand attention.

Once again, we were awakened by a puking dog in our bed. And I said to myself, “How many times do I have to learn this lesson?” When it comes to mistakes or missteps in your work life, how many of them make a second (or third, or fourth) appearance?

I think it’s inevitable that a job will go wrong. Take every precaution imaginable, and stuff still will happen. Everyone makes mistakes. Your Apocalypse Now is coming soon to a customer near you. Prepare for it.