Five Things I Want Printers to Hear
As an Association Professional, I am dealing with business owners and their employees every day. I hear their hopes and fears, triumphs and woes. Also their coulds, shoulds, and woulds. I am often asked how belonging to the association will bring them more business.
No, I’m not going to go out and directly sell for you, but OK - I believe you get what you give. Here are a few basics I want to remind businesses to DO.
1. Tell people what you do...OFTEN!
Our industry is so visual, yet we forget that our customer’s often don’t know what they don’t know. Shout it out utilizing much of what is FREE already!
• Make sure your website is regularly updated—not equipment lists, but products your produce (buyers don’t really care what you print on, just that you do it well).
• Use social media—quit trying to figure out WHY and just do it.
• Marketing—for goodness sake, print a few things with your image, your staff, and your mantra on them. Show buyers you care enough about YOUR image and that will translate into you caring about theirs.
• Make sure your top PR people (i.e., your STAFF) buy into your sales message. Use the language with them that you want them using with your customers. People repeat what they hear.
2. Get in the know, and stay there.
Working under a rock doesn’t inspire new thought or innovation nor encourage your staff to do so either. Go to conferences, utilize online and association resources, ask questions and write down the answers on a large piece of paper. And don’t keep what your learn to yourself—share these answers with your internal peers and employees! It’s not rocket science, but use your time improving instead of re-digging for artifacts you already have.
3. Salespeople DON’T need to be from the industry.
