If you’re in sales, you’ve heard this before: The best way to sell is by not selling at all.
When it comes to the print industry, this holds true as well. But for those not familiar with it, this can sound counterintuitive. Or, it may simply spark the question, “How do you actually do that?”
I’ve found that one of the easiest ways to sell, without directly selling, is by using targeted lead generation strategies. Print companies can bring high-intent customers directly to them utilizing lead gen tactics. No cold calls, no aggressive pitches, just thoughtful marketing that aligns with how print buyers actually search for solutions and make decisions.
From inbound marketing and SEO to automated workflows and content strategies, it’s time to turn your website and marketing tools into a top-performing sales channel.
Here, I’ll break down key concepts that highlight how you should do this and why it works.
Understanding the Modern Print Buyer’s Journey
To generate more leads without direct selling, print companies must understand how today’s buyers behave. I’ve been talking to so many PSPs about this and get to see it first hand with the work I do in this space. Below I’ve shared 3 primary behaviors that have to be accounted for.
- Most print buyers start their journey online, looking for inspiration, pricing, and potential vendors.
- Buyers rarely reach out immediately. Instead, they engage with helpful, educational content as they research options.
- When your brand consistently shows up with value during their discovery phase, you become the obvious choice when they’re ready to place an order.
This all might sound overly simplistic, but the truth is that it is simple. But not all simple things are easy to execute, so I’m sharing more on how to tackle those behaviors here.
Inbound Marketing That Builds Your Print Sales Funnel
Inbound marketing is how you make your print company easy to find and appealing to potential buyers. It positions your brand as a resource instead of a sales pitch. You get found, engaged with and directly contacted for more information, quotes and purchase requests.
I’m outlining three components you must address to make this work.
- SEO for Print Shops
Optimizing your website content for strategic topics that include relevant keywords and phrases like "Top Ways to Increase Retail Sales During Slow Seasons" and "How to Rebrand a Nonprofit" helps you show up in search results for searches like this.
These topics are examples of content you can create to get found by your target audience and get them at points of interest in growth or change, allowing you to pitch them via your content on working with you to help solve those problems.
- Lead Capture Tools
Use downloadable resources like spec guides, price sheets, design checklists, print planning templates or industry specific content to convert site visitors into leads. Gated content provides value, builds your list and puts leads into nurture campaigns.
- Email Nurturing Campaigns
Once leads are in your funnel, use email to share more valuable content, success stories, or industry trends. Stay visible until they’re ready to reach out.
Here you can get more comprehensive and complex by adding in behavioral triggers, better segmentation and personalization.
Automated Lead Nurturing to Build Trust at Scale
Doing good inbound work will generate highly qualified leads, but not every lead will convert right away. Automation bridges the gap without burning out your sales team. Using automation in your lead nurturing allows you to set up smart logic that will do analysis and execute tasks to drive the prospect into a place where they are ready to buy.
- CRM Email Workflows - Set up email series triggered by downloads or site activity. Focus on educating leads about print options, trends, or FAQs instead of hard selling.
- Behavior-Based Follow-Ups - Use site behavior like repeat visits or downloads to trigger personalized responses. Someone who browses your catalog three times may be closer to ordering than a first-time visitor.
- Lead Scoring for Prioritization - Assign points to lead actions so your sales team can focus on the most qualified prospects. Automating this helps you scale your efforts without losing the personal touch.
- Live Chat and AI Assistants - Add chat functions or AI assistants & agents that can handle common inquiries instantly, improving user experience and gathering lead data in the process.
Web-to-Print Tools That Do the Selling For You
Web-to-Print tools allow prospects to quote, design, and purchase on their own with little to no interaction with the company. This caters well to existing customers and those who don’t like engaging too often.
Instant Quotes and Sample Downloads
Self-service tools like quote calculators or sample kits help move prospects along their journey while capturing key contact data.
Making it easy for buyers to get the information they need, or providing them with collateral will dramatically increase your close rate and drive up revenue.
Online Templates
Give customers access to ready-to-use templates. This can be used to ensure customers are sending print ready files, it can also be used to give customers starting points for their content. The use of templates as a marketing and sales tool has proven to work time and time again.
Custom Storefronts and Portals
Using these stores allows you to better serve existing customers and expand into serving ecommerce buyers who are looking for that online buying experience.
Creating a Content Engine That Attracts High-Intent Buyers
Content marketing for printers is a long-term strategy that builds authority and visibility. It’s also efficient and affordable, so it only makes sense to do this. Especially when it means you can “sell without selling.”
- Know Your Print Buyer Personas - Identify and document the decision-makers in your target industries. Understand their pain points and the print solutions they need. This will allow you to get their attention and close more sales.
- Publish Consistently - Blogs, videos, FAQs, and how-to guides can all drive traffic and engagement. For social media frequency is key to getting better visibility in the algorithms, plus prospects and customers will see you are an active authoritative company creating value for them.
- Showcase Success Stories - Highlight customer case studies that show how you solved real-world challenges. Proof builds trust and validates your expertise. Even if you don’t have the details for a case study, then make up your own short blurb about the project and share photos, this can work just as well as full blown case studies.
By focusing on lead generation for print companies, you create a more efficient and effective path to growth. When your brand shows up consistently with helpful resources, tools, and content, buyers begin to see you as a partner rather than a vendor. This trust leads to stronger relationships and a steady stream of leads who are ready to buy without ever being sold to.
And the good news is that content that you create with this in mind will sell for you 24/7. This is how you as a print service provider can sell without selling.
The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions. Artificial Intelligence may have been used in part to create or edit this content.
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- Business Management - Marketing/Sales

Alyssa Summers is the CEO of Pryntbase, a marketing service and solutions provider for full service print companies. She brings a deep background in digital strategy and a proven track record in agency and industry leadership. Alyssa has helped hundreds of print businesses drive visibility, leads, and sales through smart use of technology and marketing automation. Known for her practical approach and deep industry insight, she is a digital marketing thought leader focused on helping printers thrive in the digital age. You can reach her at alyssa@pryntbase.com.