Print MIS Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Marketing, content, & technology to help printers sell more printing

MIS, Odyssey, Marketing Ideas For Printers, Print MIS Reliability Check: Hard Drive or Internet?

A frequent question that comes up when printers explore moving to any cloud-based service is: What happens if my internet connection goes down? Our new Print MIS, Odyssey, is a cloud-based service, so it’s important to us that you get a clear answer to that question. If internet reliability is a concern in your area, then a cloud-based MIS service like Odyssey may not be the right choice for you. You may be better served by a legacy Print MIS like Printer’s Plan or PrintSmith Vision that resides on a hard drive. However, hard drives have reliability issues too. Whether your internet connection goes down for a cloud-based system, or your hard drive crashes for a legacy system, your primary concern is to get access to your data. So, when data access is needed, which option gets you there quicker and with less hassle? Let’s take a look at both contenders. In Corner One: Hard Drives Hard drives are not immortal. In fact, it’s just a matter of when (not if!) your hard drive dies. When that happens, think about this: what if that hard drive contains all of your Print MIS data? Now, calculate the time and hassle required to recover from a

Each week we present two webinars to talk about Odyssey, the new Print MIS from Marketing Ideas For Printers. Last week’s webinar was one of the best because Cindy Heitman and Don Jones joined me. (That means you don’t have to listen to me drone on and on!) Cindy and Don both have a unique perspective on Odyssey, and you’ll find it helpful to learn more about Odyssey from a different viewpoint. Cindy is on our sales team and helps printers see the benefits Odyssey offers. Don is Odyssey’s lead developer and shares his excitement of Odyssey from the perspective of all the technical details that make it work. A New Print MIS: The Odyssey Live Event Web Meeting Enough of my words, let’s get you watching and listening. Here’s a recording of the Thursday, March 16, 2017, Odyssey webinar: Table of Contents Miss a spot? Here’s a convenient table of contents for you to get to the exact right place, along with links to pages referenced in the webinar: 0:45 – Book: The Influence of “Hooked” on Odyssey (Blog post: http://on.mi4p.com/hooked-blog) 3:55 – Odyssey from Cindy’s Perspective 8:53 – Meet Don Jones (Blog post: http://on.mi4p.com/meet-don-jones) 9:22 – Odyssey from Don’s Perspective 12:40 – Demo of

Odyssey, MIS, Marketing Ideas For Printers, Can I Import My Existing Print MIS Data Into Odyssey?

Sometimes Odyssey prospects fall in love with Odyssey (our new Print MIS) when they see it, then second-guess their new-found affection by letting this thought rattle around in their brain: What will I do with all my customer history and existing Print MIS data? I’d make the move if that were easier to deal with. Respectfully, if you’re thinking that thought, then you do not see Odyssey’s true potential, and you might be acting lazy and a little selfish. Don’t Be Selfish Remember, your Print MIS isn’t about you; it’s about your customers. Which MIS solution is going to serve their needs best? A modern, cloud-based Print MIS that puts them on the same platform as you and your team, or a legacy MIS that puts a digital wall of separation between you and your customers? Sure, it’s easier to stay with your current Print MIS, but is it better? If you think about what’s easiest for you without thinking about what’s best for your customers, selfishness is creeping in. Someday, maybe even today, you’ll be vulnerable to losing your customers to another printer that does see how a cloud-based Print MIS allows their customers to do business more efficiently. When that happens, it’ll

MIS, Odyssey, Marketing Ideas For Printers, Odyssey is a Print MIS for Online and Legacy Success

As I’ve visited with printers about Odyssey and told them that Odyssey is a Print MIS that directly connects to their website, it’s easy for them to see that Odyssey easily manages online print orders. Because of Odyssey’s seamless connection to websites from Marketing Ideas For Printers, printers can sometimes overlook how well Odyssey handles legacy orders too, which leads to printers asking this question: How does Odyssey handle legacy orders? Here are three of the entry points for print orders in Odyssey. Self-Serve Online Orders These are the online orders placed by your customers with no assistance from you. Your customers sit at their desk at work (or at home in their pajamas, for that matter), fill out an order form on your website, and click the Place an Order button. Just a fraction of a second later, there’s an order in Odyssey (your Print MIS), and everyone on your team is alerted that print production can start. Guided Orders Guided orders are like self-serve orders because they also use an order form found on your website. But, these order forms are intended to be used by your team to guide your customers through the process of ordering printing. Your team will want to

Odyssey, MIS, Marketing Ideas For Printers, Odyssey Print MIS Customers Get Unfair Attention

I’ve been “going public” with a lot of the questions we get from prospects checking out Odyssey, our new Print MIS. Some of the questions can be presented almost verbatim. Other questions are more “question behind the question” type questions, like today’s question: How can I get started with Odyssey without being overwhelmed? Here’s the simple answer to the question behind the question: By intentionally limiting Odyssey’s growth, we’ll be in a position to give an unfair amount of attention to the printers that use Odyssey day-to-day. Limiting Growth for Maximum Impact New software is exciting! But we get it; being on the front end of something brand new (like Odyssey) can be somewhat scary if you feel like you need to go it alone. But you’re not alone! One of the very best ways we can remove your fear of the unknown is by ensuring you get all the attention you need when you need it most. With Odyssey, by intentionally limiting the number of customers that we accept in the early days, we’ll be in a position to give Odyssey’s customers an unfair amount of attention. We’ll able to move very quickly to address the items that are the most essential to the success of customers using Odyssey. Our Core

Odyssey, MIS, Marketing Ideas For Printers, NO-DATA-CUSTODY-BATTLES-HERE

Recently, I published a blog post to make the case that Odyssey and Marketing Ideas For Printers are built for the long haul. You’d expect to hear nothing less, right? But what if you’re not using Odyssey for the long haul? Smart businesspeople make decisions influenced not only by the adoption of new software, but also by the departure options provided by that software. That’s why a question like this comes up sometimes: I like what I see in Odyssey. What if I get started now, but in a few years decide I want to move on? How do I get my data? Let me first start by saying we have no intention of running some “data extortion ring” here. We’re not going to hold your data hostage; that’s just not who we are. It’s your data, and we’re honored you entrust us with it! If, for some unknown reason, you find it necessary to part ways in the future, it’s still your data, and you’re entitled to it. Export Your Data That’s why you’ll see plenty of export buttons in Odyssey. As long as you’re a subscriber, you’ll always have the opportunity to export data from Odyssey’s reports. How About a Different Format? In a perfect world, software

Odyssey, MIS, Marketing Ideas For Printers, How Do I Know You're Print MIS Will Be Around

For those discovering Odyssey (our new Print MIS) and learning about Marketing Ideas For Printers for the very first time, it’s not surprising to have questions like this: How do I know Marketing Ideas For Printers will be around for the long haul? How can I be assured that Odyssey will be viable in the future if I choose Odyssey as my Print MIS? Those are good questions, and not too difficult to answer. It Starts with Our History The answer actually starts in the late 1980s with the birth of Ink Inc., which at that time was the name of the company that started the direct mail service provided by Marketing Ideas For Printers. Just click the history link at the bottom of any page on our Direct Mail For Printers website and you’ll see the story of how Ink Inc. began. Over time, we’ve added Websites For Printers (2001), Social Media Marketing For Printers (2009), and Email Marketing For Printers (2009) to the services offered by Marketing Ideas For Printers. Each service was quickly embraced by both new and existing customers, and each service quickly achieved sustained profitability. Each service has stood the test of time, and each service has adapted to continue to be relevant.

Odyssey, MIS, Marketing Ideas For Printers, How Much Does Odyssey Cost?

If you’re a “just give me the facts, please” type of person, the price for Odyssey is as follows: a recurring monthly subscription fee of $499 (USD), plus a $2,999 (USD) one-time setup fee to get started. Currently, Odyssey requires a website (with the Ecommerce Suite) from Marketing Ideas For Printers. That means you’ll have not only a forward-thinking Print MIS under your fingertips but also a world-class website! (Later, Odyssey will be available for use on any website.) Odyssey’s Pricing and Benefits So, I know what you’re probably thinking. “How does Odyssey help me sell more printing and pay for itself?” Or, there’s this one, “Switching to a new MIS is a huge headache. What’s so different about Odyssey that I’ll know it’s really worth it?” Finally, “I’m thinking about it, but why hurry?” Well, let me answer those questions for you with three of the benefits I believe will be the most impactful for you: Question #1: How does Odyssey help me sell more printing and pay for itself? By eliminating double-entry and creating a more efficient hand-off from your customers to your team. Just think of all the time it takes your team to copy the information from an online order and paste it into

Odyssey, MIS, Marketing Ideas For Printers, The Personal Touch is Gone. Now What?

Gone are the days when you could count on a friendly smile with your purchase. Sure, you can still get that warm smile, but these days we head to the self-checkout line and intentionally choose to skip the opportunity for that friendly smile altogether. That’s a topic I explored in a recent article published on LinkedIn entitled, Connecting People to Process. (If we’re not already connected on LinkedIn, please take this opportunity to connect with me while you’re there reading the article. Thanks!) Who’s In Control? You don’t have a self-checkout line in your print shop, but your print-buying customers probably feel like most Walmart shoppers. They don’t always want a personal touch anymore! They want control – the control to regulate their buying pace, the control to access and change their order whenever they want, and the control to not wait for you. The Easiest Process Wins If your customers are exercising their control and choosing to skip the personal touch, that means they’re going online to order printing. Today, over 70% of buying decisions are made before a conversation with a real live human even occurs. 70%!!! And all signs point to that number going even higher in the future. Let’s go back to the

“Odyssey” is a new breed of Print Management Information Systems (Print MIS) that eliminates double entry and expands the scope of Print MIS to include marketing. Odyssey Eliminates Double Entry Gone are the days when your customers place an order online, and you have to copy the information they provided and paste it into your Print MIS. With Odyssey, your website is your MIS, and that means no more double entry. Odyssey Includes Marketing What if your Print MIS not only managed your interactions with your customers during the production of their print jobs, but it also helped you communicate with your customers and prospects before and after the time they were buying printing? Because Odyssey is a Print MIS with marketing automation, Odyssey has you covered at all stages … before, during, and after! Learn About Odyssey Odyssey will launch in January 2017. If you take the time to learn about Odyssey now, you’ll save $2,000 off Odyssey’s startup charge. How do you learn about Odyssey? By signing up for one of our no-obligation webinars! The webinars are scheduled every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, pick the one (or more!) that works for you. The complete schedule can be found at the bottom of mi4p.com/mis. Sign Up for a Webinar

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