Selling Print, Taco Bell Style

I recall hearing that the first restaurant to offer the now-common practice of one-price combo meals (entrée, fries and a drink, for example) was a Taco Bell in New Mexico. Like the Internet, cell phones and the “Downton Abbey” BBC television series, it is hard to imagine what life was like before someone came up with the idea.

Why has no one brought this concept to the world of printing?

Sure, I have seen special offers where a new customer can get business cards, envelopes and letterhead at a fixed price, but I want someone to think bigger than that. Can anyone tie the idea to a specific offering, like print and mail?

Imagine three preset price levels:

• For $249, a customer could send out, say, 250 2/2 postcards (or whatever).
• For $499, the customer would get 500 postcards, plus you could promise to send out a follow-up email.
• For $999, you’d sweeten the pot even further—use your imagination,

It’s funny how the mind works. I often look at car commercials and focus not on the vehicle, but rather the lease price and hear my inner Bill voice say, “Shoot, I can afford that.” Only later do I remind myself that I don’t need a new car.

Wouldn’t you wonder if someone seeing your offer would think the same way? I mean, is it possible or probable that a customer would look at the price and think to him or herself, “I can do an entire mailing for only $499? Let’s go!”

Rarely does someone with the power to purchase such an offering think to him/herself, “I need to do a mailing.” But by throwing three price levels out there, it shifts the internal debate away from that need to one where they are assessing the cost/value, hopefully toward a better outcome.