NPSOA Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Marketing, content, & technology to help printers sell more printing

Welcome back to another edition of Sell More Printing, where we explore real-world sales and marketing strategies that you, as a printer, can adapt to boost your business. Today, we’re venturing into the mystical world of video games – yes, you read that right – with a spotlight on Zelda. Our journey begins by exploring how Kathy, our fearless Director of Client Relations at Marketing Ideas For Printers, found business wisdom in this pixelated world, all while gaming with her grandson, who absolutely loves that his grandma is a gamer! Leveling Up Client Engagement with a Zelda Twist Get a picture in your mind of Kathy, controller in hand, navigating the landscapes of Zelda; her brow furrowed in concentration. In between helping her grandson find the Master Sword and rescuing Princess Zelda, she had an ‘aha!’ moment. Kathy thought, “If Link can save a kingdom with a little strategy and a lot of heart, why can’t printers use similar tactics in their day-to-day business?” Just as Link journeys through Hyrule, facing dragons and solving puzzles, you, too, can embark on an adventure with each client, armed with your mighty print solutions! How This Helps You Sell More Printing In Zelda,

Welcome back to another edition of Sell More Printing, where we explore real-world sales and marketing strategies that you, as a printer, can adapt to boost your business. This month, let’s dive into the world of car washes and discover how their clever subscription model can be a game-changer for your print shop. Sparkling Success – The Car Wash Subscription Strategy Recently, a new car wash opened in my neighborhood, with signage enticing all drivers with free car washes for a week. Count me in! As I lined up for a complimentary wash, they presented me with an irresistible offer – $5 for 30 days of unlimited, premium car washes. Thirty days later, I was no longer a one-time customer; I had become a regular subscriber. This clever marketing strategy is not just about cleaning cars – it’s about building a loyal customer base. How This Helps You Sell More Printing What makes this car wash strategy so effective for your printing business? It’s simple: the transition from a one-time free service to a low-cost, high-value subscription. By offering an incredible initial deal, you draw customers in. As they experience your service’s quality and convenience, transitioning to a regular subscription

Welcome back to another edition of Sell More Printing, where we explore real-world sales and marketing strategies that you, as a printer, can adapt to boost your business. This month we’ll explore how to sell more printing by owning a category that’s unique to you. Create Your Unique Category Creating a unique category can be as simple as combining two common items in a way that no one ever thought of before. Last month, I shared how Just Add Ice brilliantly combined ice cubes with the task of watering plants, establishing themselves as the go-to source for easy-to-maintain plants. When I’m ready to ship a Money Tree as a gift, you can bet there’s only one place I’ll go! Here’s another example that’s a little more unusual. Ladies, please accept my apologies in advance: I’d like to think that all men wash their hands after going to the bathroom. What would happen, though, if someone combined a urinal and a sink? Hygiene improves, and a new category is created with the urinal sink! How This Helps You Sell More Printing You can sell more printing when you create your very own category. Owning a unique category means you not only

Welcome back to another edition of Sell More Printing, where we explore real-world sales and marketing strategies that you, as a printer, can adapt to boost your business. This month, we’re tackling a topic close to home – my own klutzy coffee mishap and how it can be adapted to create a recurring revenue stream for you. Cleaning up Spilled Coffee with a Subscription Picture my not-so-graceful departure on a recent family road trip. My poorly secured cup of coffee led to an unfortunate spill on my iPhone. The panicked moments that followed, marked by a “Liquid Detected” warning, led me to an impromptu subscription to iCloud+. I hastily subscribed to iCloud+ before we drove away, and this subscription allowed me to back up my iPhone on the go. My hope? Salvage my data before the coffee-induced demise of my phone. How This Helps You Sell More Printing In my chaotic coffee episode, iCloud+ became my data lifeline. That got me thinking, as a printer, you can consider something similar for your printing business – offering a File Storage subscription akin to iCloud+. Offering this service as a subscription not only secures your clients’ precious files but also provides a

Each month’s Sell More Printing feature aims to highlight the exceptional sales and marketing efforts of others so you can adapt them to help you sell more printing. Last month, we explored a unique way to strengthen relationships with high-value clients by sending a physical Money Tree plant to symbolize mutual growth and your commitment to their success. Let’s take this concept one step further with two simple ice cubes! Watering the Money Tree with Ice If you followed the QR code from last month’s article to the ongoing conversation on LinkedIn, you know that our preferred vendor for the Money Tree is a company called Just Add Ice. It’s a clever name, but what does it mean? Well, when you order a Money Tree from Just Add Ice, it comes with a tag in the plant’s soil with clear and concise instructions: It’s a visual reminder that’s hard to miss, making the care process foolproof. Make it Easy and Memorable What could be easier than watering with ice cubes? But Just Add Ice doesn’t stop there. They go the extra mile to ensure that customers never forget to water their Money Trees by offering to send them friendly email

Welcome to the start of a new feature to help you Sell More Printing! This article aims to highlight the exceptional sales and marketing efforts of others so you can adapt them to help you sell more printing. First in our sights is the Money Tree, which provides a creative and clever way to show appreciation to your best customers. The Money Tree The Money Tree is an actual plant. (Its fancy name is “Pachira aquatica” if you need proof!) The name makes it sound like it has a centuries-old legend attached to it, but its story is just a few decades old. Its popularity started in the 1980s when a Taiwanese truck driver braided the trunks of five small trees in a single flowerpot. Here’s a picture of the Money Tree I keep sitting on my desk: Send a Money Tree to High-Value Print Buyers Here at Marketing Ideas For Printers, I now send a Money Tree to subscribers purchasing a premium subscription service by following this simple process. First, I make an informal YouTube video that shows my Money Tree and mentions how we’ll both be able to fertilize our Money Trees and grow together. We then have

We live in a world that’s saturated with data. Data can be ignored (like, did you really need to see how many new Facebook mentions you received in the last 90 seconds?), or data can be used for productive purposes, such as uncovering new sales opportunities. Today, I have two sales-related data stories to share with you. One is a data failure, and the other is a data success—first, the failure. Sales Data Fail Several years ago, we made a change in our office and installed a new water dispenser with an inline filtration system, replacing the previous dispenser that required us to swap out jugs of fresh water five gallons at a time. If you look at the picture above, you can see the water lines coming out of the wall. We moved into the modern era and no longer had to carry water! A few of my team joked that it looked like the water was now being delivered by Ethernet! Digital water, who would have guessed?!? After the installation of the new system, I called the original water delivery service and canceled all future deliveries of those five-gallon jugs. The vendor confirmed that they’d cancel

In a world full of clichés, many speak to the importance of doing what you love. But, it’s increasingly rare to find a genuine example of someone loving what they do and pouring their whole heart into doing it. When I met with Tom Lancaster of Litho Press, it was quickly and abundantly clear that Tom hits the ground running every morning, looking to see who he can bless in the world of printing. It’s incredible, and it can be an inspiration for all of us. Introducing Litho Press Litho Press (located in San Antonio, Texas) was founded in 1962 by Raymond Thomas. It began as a provider of printing services to the Government Printing Office (GPO) nationally. Over the years, it became one of the largest GPO providers in the country. Today, the company still fulfills printing services to government entities but has expanded to serve the commercial sector, which accounts for more than 90% of its business activity. Litho Press has a unique ownership structure as well. After Raymond Thomas passed away, he bequeathed the company to a local university. Trinity University later sold it to Thomas F. Murray, who has been the owner for many years. When

Big Red Printing has been providing quality printing services for businesses and organizations since January 1985. Run by president and owner Gene Walter, along with his partners Caleb Priebe and Joanna Sena, Big Red Printing is making an impact in Norfolk and Columbus, Nebraska. Gene says Big Red Printing’s start in the printing business happened in a way that most people don’t expect. “The origin of the company was to print for a guy that had a nationwide Apple software club for schools. He called his business “The Big Red Apple Club,” hence, Big Red Printing. However, living in Nebraska, almost everybody thinks Big Red Printing is because of Nebraska athletics.” Today, Big Red Printing offers digital and offset printing services, focusing on working with businesses and organizations and offering a wide range of printing services, including mailers, forms, postcards, and newsletters. Like most businesses, Big Red Printing faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the company was down only 3% in 2020, thanks to its marketing efforts, customer base, and staff. In 2021, the company bounced back and saw a 32% increase in its revenue, surpassing its pre-pandemic levels. Here are just a few things they attribute to their

BCP Digital Printing, located in the bustling metropolis of Baltimore, Maryland, is possibly the only full-time, Black-owned book printing company in the United States. Print entrepreneurs get their start in the printing industry in various ways. Some are born into it, watching their family start the business from scratch in the garage and carrying on the family legacy. Others are marketing-minded and see a unique business opportunity in the world of print. But the story of Paul Coates and his beginnings with BCP Digital Printing is different. His journey began with a relentless commitment to helping the incarcerated. The Heart of BCP Digital Printing: Helping the Incarcerated “The idea started with six or seven people who were ex-activists in the community. Some of them were labor activists, some of them were socialists, some of them were Black Panthers like me, and what have you,” explains Paul. “Coming out of the turbulent 70s, several people who were in organizations with me were in jail. Because a number of people in the organization got arrested all the time, I developed relationships with those incarcerated.” Cultivating relationships is one thing, but you might be asking yourself how building relationships with people in

« Previous Page — Next Page »