Marketing Archives - Page 18 of 26 - Marketing, content, & technology to help printers sell more printing

Most companies, printers included, haven’t spent the time to define their sales process or the stages a prospect goes through before they buy. Even still, there are several more companies who have discrepancies in their sales process depending who you ask. Defining this process isn’t an easy exercise to go through, but it’s very necessary. And, having it well-defined will help you grow, follow up with sales opportunities, and streamline your sales process. But, what does that have to do with MQLs and SQLs? MQL VS SQL An MQL is defined as a Marketing Qualified Lead. It’s a print buyer who’s still a prospect but has indicated a level of interest in buying some sort of printing or services from your print business. This person is deemed likely to become a future customer after some nurturing. An SQL is defined as a Sales Qualified Lead. An SQL is a print buyer who started as a prospect and has shown high levels of interest in buying printing from you. They’ve shown that interest through a set of specific actions and are highly likely to then convert into a paying customer. This is someone who’s ready to speak to you about something

The October issue of Printer’s Press is now available for download! As we approach the season for tricks and treats, we hope you know our upcoming issue of Printer’s Press newsletter will be a treat for your customers to read! In this Issue The October issue includes articles on: Ways to engage your employees Tips to stay healthy while traveling The top 10 candy bars … and a quick recipe for Creamy Chicken and Noodles When Was the Last Time You Received a Thank-You Card? Thank-you cards have become a rarity in today’s business world. While sending handwritten thank-you cards to your customers can be time-consuming, it is an easy way to leave a valuable, lasting impression that also helps customers remember you for future business. For more creative ways to increase sales with print, and many other interesting articles, check out the newly updated Printer’s Press. To get started, contact us below or download free samples today!

Why do you instinctively tap the brake when you spy a state trooper ahead? For that matter, why do people litter more in dark theaters than other public places or why does a teacher’s absence make students more likely to cheat? The idea is simple: People who believe they’re being watched behave better than those who know they are not. Why? Perhaps it’s partially reputation management and partially fear (negative consequences for “bad” behavior). To live in communities, each of us abides by certain social standards, putting the good of the whole above the will of the individual. And together, we ARE better! It takes a great coach to mold an outstanding athlete. It takes a healthy community to energize innovation. Our personal and professional success is directly related to the consistent, motivating relationships we have. Accountable Partnerships and Outstanding Service This month’s Local Edge, our “benefits of buying local” direct mail postcard, highlights the quality products your customers receive as a personal, valuable client of your company. As someone who knows their name, shakes their hand, and is committed to their success, your print partnership means accountability and longevity that inspires the highest standard of excellence. Real relationships bring

Everyone loves a great story. And marketing coaches counsel companies to leverage this power by wrapping their brand in a story. Why are stories so significant? Paul Zak, founding director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies, says the real reason stories capture hearts is because first, they attract our brains! Zak found that more oxytocin (the “bonding” neurochemical that helps us navigate safe relationships) is released in the body when we encounter character-driven stories. Stories can arouse empathy, move us to help others, and motivate voluntary cooperation. Zak says when we want to motivate, persuade, or be remembered, we should always start with a story, including our own narrative: “ . . . don’t forget that your organization has its own story – its founding myth. An effective way to communicate transcendent purpose is by sharing that tale. What passion led the founder(s) to risk health and wealth to start the enterprise? Why was it so important, and what barriers had to be overcome? These are the stories that, repeated over and over, stay core to the organization’s DNA.” Share Your Story with Inspired, Imaginative Brochures This month’s FastStart, our product-of-the-month mailer, features elegant brochures as a flexible story-telling tool:

The October Business Forum newsletter will be available for download soon! October means school is back in session and the holiday season peeks from just around the corner. For some, it is already on the store shelves! In this Issue The Art of Family: This month we look at what to do when student loans start to come due. If anyone in your family or your new employees graduated last spring, now is about the time when loans will begin repayment schedules. Making plans for and understanding your loans can make all the difference between good repayment habits and making choices that could hurt you. Product Feature: We make a few connections this month between having print pieces drive a company’s web traffic and how the two, print and digital, can be a great team when planned in tandem. Our product feature is coupons and statement stuffers, with examples of how print and digital can drive traffic and sales. Book Review: This month’s book review is all about tackling the hard parts of business. Have you ever hired a friend when they really didn’t work out? What about solving conflicts within teams that are struggling to work together? This month’s

As cooler fall days will soon be approaching, add some extra color in your day with the latest issue of Printer’s Press newsletter! In this Issue In the September issue, you’ll find articles on: Sincere ideas for writing condolences A travel article about Michigan’s slice of the Caribbean Why posture is important to your health The 10 most popular emojis … and a deliciously easy recipe for Pumpkin Bread Tell Your Story with a Poster Posters have been used to promote movies since the late 1800s. Movie posters can be an excellent lesson in visual marketing and a source of marketing inspiration. Don’t miss some great tips on a few popular marketing techniques readers can replicate from successful movie posters. For more creative ways to increase sales with print, and many other interesting articles, check out the newly updated Printer’s Press. To learn more, download a free sample or contact us below.

Did you know . . . That first-generation computers (1940s) used “vacuum tubes” for circuitry, taking a whole room to house and a fortune to run? That the advent of microprocessors (20 years later) positioned all computer components into a single chip, allowing what once filled one room to fit into the palm of one hand? That smartwatches can track your sleep, connect to your car, keep you on task as a “virtual assistant,” and allow you to answer calls and texts on the run? Technology is amazing. But not as incredible as humanity’s hunger to create! When first generation computers took up 15,000 square feet (weighing up to 30 tons), could anyone have imagined that laptops would one day be as thin as 0.3 inches? When stuck in a rut, maybe the most inspiring thing we can do is reflect on how far we’ve come. With a problem to solve or an innovation that inspires, nearly any vision can come to life! You Dream It, We’ll Print It Local Edge, our direct mail postcard featuring the benefits of local printing, devotes this month’s mailing to the creative advantage local print brings. Your clients’ business is one-of-a-kind, and their materials

Crafting a marketing message that will resonate with your buyers is no easy task. But, if you first determine the who, the what, and the how, you’ll be well on your way to a compelling message. This week, in part four of this series, you’ll learn how to expand on what you’ve learned about the “how” thus far with an impactful tool called an empathy map. Understanding is Vital Empathy = understanding, and it’s something you cannot ignore. If you want to understand your audience, you have to be able to enter the conversation that’s already playing in your prospect’s head. By matching up with their values and worldviews, you’re also aiming to open the conversation in the prospect’s heart, and that’s how your marketing triggers the right motivation at the right time. The Process of Empathy Mapping At the crux of this exercise is this statement: “Our ideal customer needs a better way to ____ because ____.” Your empathy map will be different from anyone else’s, but it should have these foundational elements: Four quadrants broken down into “think/feel,” “see,” “say/do,” and “hear.” Two optional boxes at the bottom of the quadrants: “Pains” and “Gains.” The point of this map

Have Instagram, Facebook, and social media become the new, “wish you were here” greeting for this generation? Washington Post travel journalist Mark Jenkins wrestled with this question and concluded the allure of the postcard is not just the image captured or the message shared, but a physical memento from a real, tangible place. Jenkins writes, Postcards (are) more personal than a generalized cyber-posting or e-blast, and . . . less narcissistic. Postcards widen the conversation by adding a third element: the image itself, whether tacky or beautiful, generic or informative. Think Outside the Rectangle Remind your customers that a physical message in their hands gives their message palpable weight with this month’s FastStart direct mail package. Show them that gone are the days of boring templates and that today’s printing capabilities offer them the chance to dream and DO almost anything with postcard sizing, shape, or finishes. Encourage your clients to think outside the rectangle — considering tri-fold layouts, square promo cards, or coupons with detachable referral slips that people can give to a friend. Lively Postcards are Personal, Practical, and FUN Perhaps your customers need a boost in their seasonal sales or trade show promotions. Here’s a peek at the

So far in this series of crafting your perfect marketing message, you’ve learned about the who and the what in order to craft the messages your prospects need to hear. To recap: The “who” reveals the stories you should tell by knowing your audience. The “what” helps you craft an overall voice that ties directly into the prospect’s motivation to buy. Once these two parts are nailed down, you’ll be able to deliver the perfect metaphors and anecdotes that make your ideal prospect view you as the only choice. This messaging and content will be a clear combination of messages that are persuasive, compelling, and powerful for them to hear and read. You Are Not Your Audience Armed with the “who” and the “what,” let’s turn our attention to look at the “how” of attracting your ideal buyer — one who shares your values. When you’re just getting started executing your “how,” it can be tempting to overly identify with your audience. While you’re going to have things in common, it’s dangerous to think your ideal customer is similar to you in other ways. You’re a subject matter expert at what you do, for starters, and they are not. Make sure to

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