Addition is Sexy, Subtraction is Necessary

What’s more fun: adding something new to the lineup of products and services, or taking something out?

Ask that question to anyone, and they’ll almost certainly say, “Adding something new.” Ask any marketer, and they’ll say “ADDING SOMETHING NEW!!!!!”

Expanding the lineup of products and services offered is fun, exciting, and just plain sexy. It’s the byproduct of doing business!

Subtraction is Necessary

However, while additions are sexy, subtraction is necessary.

I had an excellent reminder of that recently when Rachel Nies, our Director of Marketing, brought to our team’s attention that we’re offering printing templates for print buyers to use for their CD and DVD printing projects. As part of Rachel’s cycle of regular content review, she correctly noted that CDs and DVDs aren’t nearly as relevant as they once were, giving way to cloud storage and distribution, flash drives, and high-speed internet connections that more readily supporting large file transfers.

You can see those templates in context on the Layout Templates page of one of our public demo websites, but you have to get there before Rachel does because we’re going to remove those templates.

When those templates are removed, that will mean we’ll no longer be able to say, “With access to more than 170 templates branded to your printing firm, your customers can successfully set up their documents for printing with just the right template for any job.” We’ll have to downgrade that number to less than 170. That’s not sexy, but it’s important to us to make sure the templates on that page are meaningful and relevant and not just fluffy filler. That’s necessary.

An Eye for Subtraction

Now, it’s your turn.

Take a look at your business through the lens of subtraction. Are there outdated products, services, or marketing pieces that are hurting your effectiveness when you present them? What can be removed? What needs to be removed? What dead weight can you shed? You might just find that the weight you shed frees your business to add something new!

And adding something new is fun and sexy!


Written by

Dave Hultin

President, Marketing Ideas For Printers

Dave Hultin is the president and visionary behind Marketing Ideas For Printers. He's on a mission to lead printers to success by providing powerfully innovative online ordering solutions and impossible-to-ignore content. If you're looking to sell more printing and grow your business, follow Dave on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davehultin/.