Business Management - Marketing/Sales

As we start the new year, I want to talk a bit about QR codes. Some industry pundits think QR codes will make PURLs obsolete; others are touting the ability to combine the two ideas.

This is a column about the ugly, evil and dreaded affliction known as distraction. As your beloved Mañana Man, I have pioneered the research and practice of losing my way and taking disruptive and bewildering side roads to nowhere.

As you crack open that new 2010 calendar, and face the prospect of not knowing what the heck would make your print customers happy — happy enough, that is, to stick with you for the long haul — may I suggest the easiest solution? Ask them.

I have been receiving a mixture of electronic holiday cards and printed cards and it has left me thinking, What factors determine which type of card I receive? Perhaps our industry should create and market the protocol.

You'd think in the current climate you should quote for every piece of work you can.  More quotes = more sales... right?  Maybe not. In traditional print selling, we are told that a good outcome from a prospect meeting is to come away with the opportunity to quote for something.  Here's the problem with that approach.  Each time you do that, you end up chasing the prospect and then haggling on price 'till you're barely making any money on the deal.

There is a lot of talk about Augmented Reality (AR) and the opportunity it can be for printing firms. I happen to agree with it’s potential and feel it is worthwhile to look into. Bringing in the power of the physical world, like the ability to touch and feel, gives print a very powerful place in this emerging market.

Selling print at a sustainable profit is the single biggest challenge facing the printing industry right now.  If you can't find good quality customers who value what you do and are willing to pay for it... surviving the recession will be difficult. 

This webinar will show you proven strategies to find, win, keep and grow the best customers in your market... despite the recession.  Here's some of what we'll cover:

* Where to find new customer and prospect lists.  You'll also learn how to win the business without cutting your prices to ridiculous levels. 
* How to find the most profitable customers in your market.  And I'll even show you how to steal them from the competition if you have to. 
* How to retain your existing clients... AND get them to spend more money.  This strategy works, even if you think you are already tapping into the full potential of the account.
* The best strategies for getting an audience with new customers.  If you've ever struggled to get an appointment with a new customer because they don't see your company as any different than your competition... this will really help you.   
* How to differentiate yourself from the competition... and generate better margins, even if you sell the same end product.
* How to market in a down economy when many companies are cutting back.  This is a major challenge right now and I'll show you how to finally deal with it. 
* How to approach customers from a value perspective, rather than from a price perspective.  If you are tired of trying to approach prospects who feel they can dictate prices because it's a buyers' market... this new approach will be good for both you

Click here to view this webinar today!

Here's a sure-fire way to turn off prospects: Send them unwanted emails that blatantly and shamelessly sell your products. You know the ones I mean: they come from Printer XYZ and tout things like "Brochures 50% Off!" or "Flyer Special through Friday Only!"

FOR THE 26 years that Printing Impressions has been publishing 
its annual ranking of the top printing companies in the United States and Canada, thankfully there have been more prosperous years than bad ones reported by the firms appearing on our list. The printing industry has suffered, and bounced back, from recessions before.

Amidst the rising cost of postal rates and major cutbacks, publishers and catalogers have been forced to reevaluate their marketing and business strategies. Companies in both sectors looked at cost reduction, how to gain stronger customer loyalty and better ROIs, as well as adopting multi-channel strategies.