Sell More Printing Archives - 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. This month, we dive into a surprising lesson from the world of baking—yes, baking!—to uncover how making things easy for your print buyers can sometimes be too easy and what you can do to strike the perfect balance. The Cake Mix Conundrum: When Convenience Backfires Let’s take a trip back to the 1940s when the introduction of cake mixes revolutionized the baking world. Initially, these mixes were designed to be incredibly simple—just add water, and you’d have a cake ready to bake. But to everyone’s surprise, sales were disappointing. It turns out that people felt a sense of embarrassment when they realized how little effort it took to “bake” the cake. They wanted to feel like they had played a real part in the process. Enter the genius tweak: manufacturers altered the formula, so bakers needed to add an egg and some oil. Suddenly, sales soared. Why? Because this small bit of involvement allowed people to feel like they were truly baking rather than just using a shortcut. This same principle can apply to

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 drawing inspiration from a historic athletic achievement to explore how embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI) can revolutionize your printing business. Breaking the 4-Minute Mile Before 1954, medical experts and athletic professionals deemed the idea of running a mile in under four minutes impossible. It wasn’t until May 6, 1954, when Roger Bannister accomplished this feat, that the barrier was broken. This achievement not only proved the experts wrong but also inspired many others to follow suit. Within a few years, over 50 athletes had broken the 4-minute mile, demonstrating the power of breaking mental and perceived physical barriers. Similarly, the adoption of AI in business has faced skepticism. For years, many have seen AI as a futuristic, impractical technology. However, continuing advancements and successful implementations across various industries have shown that AI can indeed drive significant improvements in efficiency, customer engagement, and cost savings. Training for AI Excellence Roger Bannister did not achieve his record-breaking 4-minute mile by chance; it was the result of strategic preparation. In the same way, to achieve true AI productivity,

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 going deep into the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to consider how it can do real work that’s better, faster, and less expensive. The AI Journey: From Doubter to Believer My exploration into AI began with a sense of curiosity and a touch of skepticism. As someone who has always been interested in innovative solutions to enhance our marketing services at Marketing Ideas For Printers, I couldn’t ignore the growing buzz around AI. Initially, I focused on understanding how AI could help improve our marketing strategies, but what I discovered was far more profound. The challenge that set me on this path was to create an AI tool capable of delivering improvements in the order of 1,000 times better when measuring the time and money required to complete an existing task or process. The goal seemed ambitious, if not impossible. However, I embraced it because achieving a 1000x improvement would allow me to share this knowledge with you, helping you discover your 1000x improvements. The 1000x AI-powered Budgeted Hourly

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 dive into the powerful role of creating a welcoming environment in your shop, inspired by a modern banking experience and a cherished memory from my early days in the printing industry at Express Press in Fargo, North Dakota. The allure of complimentary cookies and coffee might be why some customers, myself included, prefer visiting their bank in person rather than speeding through the drive-through. This simple yet effective approach to customer care can transform a routine errand into a pleasurable visit, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty. Now, imagine applying a similar strategy to your print shop. How This Helps You Sell More Printing Reflecting on the early ’90s, I recall the innovative spirit of Mike Stevens at Express Press. Mike often credited his father, Jerry, as his “secret weapon.” Jerry was known for his humor and friendliness, and he introduced a unique way to welcome customers—by baking bread right in the lobby using an automated bread-making machine, a cutting-edge technology at the time. The delightful aroma of fresh bread

Welcome back to another edition of “Sell More Printing,” where we consider sales and marketing strategies that can significantly boost your printing business. In this issue, we’re spotlighting how your Management Information System (MIS) can be so much more than just a management tool; your MIS can also be a key element of your sales and marketing framework. Keep reading below, but also watch the replay of the Your Marketing-First Blueprint for Website & MIS Success webinar to discover how this strategy unfolds in more detail. This all-in-one solution, with its one-of-a-kind approach, specifically addresses the challenges of running a print business. In today’s competitive market, integrating your MIS with your marketing strategies is not just innovative; it’s essential. If your marketing strategy is designed to lead your prospects and customers to your website’s order forms, why can’t your website ask for the sale when they arrive, “Ready to make a purchase?” Why can’t your MIS tell your website to say to your customer, “Thanks for your order!” and then turn to your production team and say, “I’ve got a new order for you to print!” Odyssey Connects Marketing to MIS That’s exactly what happens with Odyssey, the Print MIS that lives

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 diving into a topic sparked by a conversation with my daughter, Tessa, about an unusual traffic marvel – England’s 7-circle Magic Roundabout – and how its principles can revolutionize your marketing approach. The Magic Roundabout: A Complex Dance of Traffic Imagine navigating a roundabout. Now, multiply that by seven interconnected circles! That’s the Magic Roundabout in Swindon, England. Click here to see a short video of this unique system in action. Initially confusing, this roundabout efficiently manages heavy traffic from multiple directions. Each mini-roundabout within the larger system requires drivers to adapt, observe, and react quickly – much like the multifaceted world of marketing. How This Helps You Sell More Printing The Magic Roundabout’s complexity mirrors the challenges you face in marketing your printing business. Just as drivers must choose the right path through the roundabout to reach their destination, you must navigate various marketing strategies to reach your target audience effectively. Steering Through the Marketing Maze: Practical Steps To adapt this analogy to your printing business, consider these key

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