You may know that I’m a big Apple fan. Whenever I buy a product from Apple I usually end up spending more money than I planned. They always have ways for me to upgrade what I’m buying.
Apple is very good at upselling me. They plan all their products and marketing around the upsell.
Why don’t we use the upsell more for print?
So often, I approach a printer for a price. I receive it. And that’s it.
At other times printing companies show me how I can reduce my costs by changing the specification.
But it is rare that anyone tries to upsell me.
There are loads of ways for customers to get more value from their print
Many of them needn’t cost very much. Here are some ideas:
Extra copies
Why not tell customers how little it would be to order a slightly larger print run.
Better paper stock
Customers often don’t realize that it can be very economical to choose a better paper, especially on a short-run product. You may be able to encourage them to go for a stock where you get a better deal. It’s also a great way to get rid of redundant stock.
Upgraded finishing
If you produce extra finishes in-house, upselling is a great opportunity to gain more usage of your equipment. Just because a client didn’t ask for a finish it doesn’t mean that they are not interested in it.
Personalized URLs
If you provide digital services, consider selling personalized URLs. There are plenty of studies to share with clients that show how response rates are typically much higher when they are used.
Guaranteed/timed delivery
On-time delivery can be vital for some jobs. Many customers are prepared to pay more to ensure that things turn up exactly when and where they are supposed to.
- Categories:
- Business Management - Marketing/Sales

Many printing companies are frustrated how hard it is to engage buyers in today’s world. That’s where Matthew Parker can help. He is a gamekeeper turned poacher. Parker has bought print for more than 20 years and received over 1,400 print sales pitches. He now uses his buyer’s point of view to give practical advice to printers. He helps them engage with prospects and customers to create profitable relationships.
Download his free e-book, "Ten Common Print Selling Errors And What To Do About Them" and check out his recently launched book, "How To Succeed At Print Sales: Setting targets, planning the right activities and making sure goals are met."