Welcome back! In this email series, you’ll discover several different things you can do to hold your own against your big-box online printer competitors.
Last week, you learned how to find your niche audience and gained an understanding of how a different audience focus can make all the difference in your marketing strategy and success.
But even more important than knowing who makes up your audience is knowing how to treat them.
No Numbers Here – Just Names
Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
How you’re able to make your customers feel before, during, and after a print order is placed with you can be your greatest superpower.
Unlike big-box printers, you can be a printing expert AND offer a personal touch. When the print giants leave others feeling like they’re just a number, you have the ability to see a client face to face, to get personal, and to talk about partnering together on their next big project over a cup of coffee.
Efficiency Plus Customer Service
If you want to stand out, it comes down to two things:
1. Frictionless Ordering
Do you provide a clear and easy path for your clients and prospects to order printing from you?
In a recent article, Roger Dooley talked about designing and printing the cover for his new book, “Friction.” Roger wanted a cover that would feel like friction, but when he went online to place an order, he encountered the wrong kind of friction.
“One printer had examples of a UV grit coating applied to part of a card’s design. This seemed like a possibility. Unfortunately, the coating wasn’t the only high-friction aspect. This printer had no online pricing tool or even a simple quote request form. To get a quote, one had to download a full-page PDF form and fill it out. This high-effort, outmoded process was a prime example of pointless friction.
Today, most printers let you fill in a few blanks online, tweak your design, and place your order. So, I did what I suppose most of that company’s visitors do – I left without taking action.”
Are you unknowingly creating some unnecessary friction for your potential print buyers?
2. Customer Service with a Personal Touch
Because you’re a small business owner, you have the ability to create and develop deeper, strong, more personal relationships with your print buyers.
This personal service has just as much value (if not more) than any product or service you offer.
To put this service angle in perspective, here’s an example from one of our team members here at Marketing Ideas For Printers:
For most of my adult life, I’ve lived in the country and visited a small-town clinic about 60-90 minutes away. The large, big-city clinic is only about 30 minutes away. But my primary doctor at that small-town clinic knows my name. He knows my kids’ names. He knows every medical issue I’ve ever struggled with and how my body will most likely reaction to different treatment options. He’s even given me his personal cell phone number, and I’ve been able to text him about issues when I can’t get up there to see him in person. Because of this connection and personal, stellar service, it’s absolutely worth the inconvenience of more time and more gas to drive up to see him.
What Customers Value Most
Customers appreciate and pursue relationships and experiences, not just end results and not just lower prices.
This is where you can excel when the other guys can’t. If you provide the personal relationship that your print buyers can’t get elsewhere, they’ll come to you first – even if it costs them a little extra.
