5+ Challenges for 2021 that Will Help You Sell More Printing

A new year brings fresh hope for change, and with it, the excitement needed to take on a new challenge.

In the past few years, challenges have been all the rage. A quick search online and you’ll find challenges for all sorts of things, such as fitness challenges, financial challenges, skills challenges, and more.

So, doesn’t it seem like there should be a challenge for printers? Absolutely.

Below are 5+ challenges to help you better your business in the coming year and sell more printing. Ready to make 2021 your best year yet?

1. Conduct a Business Assessment

First things first, you have to know where to start.

How is your print company doing at meeting the needs and opportunities of your print buyers? How about your internal team? What are their struggles and opportunities? Take the time to write some of these things down on paper. Determine the things you have that are working well, not so well, and those solutions you need to implement to wholly meet your buyers’ and your team’s needs.

2. Think Bigger

Thomas Edison once said, “There’s a way to do it better – find it.”

While it’s tempting to remain daily “in” the business, remember the importance of getting out and working “on” the business. When is the last time you sat down and brainstormed three things you could sell to print buyers that you’re not selling now?

There is a whole world of ideas out there just waiting to be captured and implemented. From new printing options to expanding your services to getting your head around a subscription service idea, the world is waiting for your next great idea.

3. Humanize Your Brand

One of your greatest selling points is you (and all of your team members).

While speed and cost are important, nothing is as priceless as the relationship and connection only humans can bring. While it’s wonderful to automate what needs to be automated, remember that the primary goal of streamlined solutions and automation is to free you up to spend more time where it matters – on building relationships with the people you serve.

What can you do in 2021 to offer a more personalized, relationship-building business?

As automation continues to rise, keep in mind that it will be the most human brand that will ultimately win.

4. Check Your Trust Level

One of the best ways to humanize your brand is to work on increasing trust.

How well do your prospects and customers trust you? How about your vendors and employees? Don’t just assume people view you as trustworthy. Challenge yourself to take a day and dissect what your print business is doing to build trust and what things might be eroding it. If you need some help, consider the following areas to review from small business experts Doug and Polly White when giving yourself an honest self-evaluation:

• Security: The higher the stakes, the less likely a person is to trust.
• Similarities: If the other person believes you are “like” him or her, he or she is more likely to trust.
• Interest alignment: “Are we in the same boat? If so, I will trust you.”
• Benevolent concern: Will you fight for me and look out for my interests?
• Capability: Do I trust that you can deliver what you promise? Are you competent?
• Predictability and integrity: Do you do what you say you will do? Do you behave predictably?
• Level of communication: Open, honest and regular communication builds trust

5. Add Pricing to Your Website

All of us are programmed to check the price of something, especially with online ordering.

If you think about it, when you go to purchase something online, don’t you want to know the price? Don’t you want to know what it will cost you and if that cost equals the value you received?

Without pricing available to your print buyers, they’ll either start making up their own narrative (“They probably don’t list their pricing because it’s too expensive.”), or they’ll click on over to a competitor where they can get their pricing questions answered.  Make 2021 the year you implement pricing and an eCommerce Suite to your website.

P.S. To make it even easier for you, keep an eye out for the latest pricing study results from the National Print and Sign Owners Association (NPSOA) and Marketing Ideas For Printers.

Don’t Stop There

If you made it this far, don’t stop now… keep going!

Here are some additional challenge ideas to make the maximum impact on your printing firm’s bottom line.

• Boost your social media. (Here’s a quick jumpstart for you: Try a 30-day free trial of social media marketing where content is delivered to your inbox daily. And check out these tips to spruce up your social media and download a free social media hashtag calendar for 2021).
• Go after your corporate customers for better retention.  Check out this secret weapon for repeat print business with your corporate customers.
• Inspire action. Conduct a call-to-action review of all of your marketing pieces and web pages. Ask yourself with each piece, “Is it clear what the print buyer’s next step would be from this email/blog/direct mail piece/web page, etc.?” You’ll become a better traffic controller, and your print buyers will thank you for the clear direction.

Do something this year that your future self, team, and print buyers will thank you for!