The Real Marketing Problem No One’s Talking About

Today, most marketers don’t have print quality problems with vendors. The ink-on-paper product looks fine. But more of your prospects DO have visibility problems. They DO have cut-through-the-noise problems. They DO have a get-noticed-and-remembered problem. And guess what? Print just happens to be an excellent solution.

Even so, the odds are pretty good that your competitors are still walking into meetings talking about color matching and on-time delivery. At this point, these are table stakes, not reasons to change vendors. To make the sale, you need focus on what marketers truly need now: A partner who understands how to make them stand out.

The Real Problem Hiding Behind "We Don't Do Print"

When a marketing director says, “We don’t really do print anymore,” what they’re often really saying is they don’t realize how strategic, creative, and measurable print can be today.

It’s not that print doesn’t work. It’s instead that marketers lack trusted partners who are experts in solving the visibility, engagement, or lead conversion problems they’re struggling with.

Marketers are smart, and they know digital fatigue is real. They worry about their leads drowning in a sea of sameness where companies serve endless emails, ignored social posts, and banner ads that generate minimal clicks.

Your digital-first marketing prospects aren't “anti-print.” More than anything, they’re “pro-results.”

Your New Selling Formula

Instead of, "We do beautiful print work,” try, "We solve visibility problems."

Instead of, "Look at our latest brochure samples," try, "here's how we helped a client like you break through digital noise."

Instead of, "Print adds credibility to your brand," try: "Print creates the memorable moments that turn prospects into customers."

The difference is subtle, but powerful. You're not selling a product; you're solving a problem that prospects actually have.

Because here's the truth: print isn't competing with digital. Print supports digital. It's filling the gaps that screens can't fill and adding the dimension that flat, virtual experiences lack.

Sales Conversations That Uncover Strategic Disruption Points

Print becomes a powerful sales accelerator when it’s used at the right moment in the customer journey: a moment where engagement slows, digital tactics aren’t gaining traction, or the buyer needs something more tangible to make a decision. These moments are known as strategic disruption points.

A strategic disruption point is a place in the buyer’s journey where a well-timed, tactile, and emotionally resonant print piece can reignite momentum, reinforce your message, and help your prospect’s potential buyers take the next step with confidence.

To qualify as a strategic disruption point, the moment should meet at least two of these criteria:

• Forward momentum on the part of the lead has slowed.
• The buyer is not engaged with digital content.
• The stage of the journey demands a deeper level of trust, differentiation, or memorability.
• A high-value opportunity is showing signs of going cold.

Knowing when to recommend a marketer insert print is about asking the right questions to diagnose the problem, such as:

• Where in your current campaign or funnel are you seeing the biggest drop-off or slowdown?
• What’s your strategy for reaching leads who stop responding to email or online ads?
• At what stage do you find it hardest to get the buyer to take the next step?

The Bottom Line for Bottom-Line Thinkers

Your prospects aren't sitting in meetings specifically thinking, "We need more print." They're thinking, "We need more results." When you position print as the path to those results, you stop being “just” a vendor and become the strategic partner – someone who is different than their current vendor and offers a more effective solution.

Often, the problem isn’t print as a product, but rather how we present it as a solution in the market. And a different presentation can change everything.

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.