What’s the One Thing Print Buyers Want?
Printers can print well. Most printers also offer a mix of offset and digital. Many of you have mailing and fulfillment services. You work to improve your processes and your customer service. You train sales reps to be listeners and consultants. You strive to have attractive pricing.
When all of these attributes are pretty much equal, what do today’s print buyers want printers to give them?
Ideas about new printing concepts. It’s the one request that consistently tops the wish list of corporate print buyers. I should know, because I’ve been asking this question in different forums and ways for over 10 years.
This nugget is my gift to printers this week. It’s nice and juicy and broad – so broad, that you can expand it to apply to all you do: every product, every service, every solution.
Customers are hungry for information about the latest ___________________. Feel free to fill in the blank with whatever your specialty is. Here are some possibilities:
- Digital printing equipment & breakthroughs
- VDP technologies
- Finishing techniques
- Ink offerings
- Paper options
- Folding techniques
- Substrates
- Formats
- Web-to-print applications
- Dimensional print ideas
- Mailing programs & discounts
- Large-format applications
- Sustainability advances
- Cost-saving tips
- Print-tracking options
- Integrated print & digital solutions
Think new. Think groundbreaking. Think creative. Think unique. Challenge your sales and service team members to come up with a list that deals with this one thing. Get as granular as you want. Every valid statement will make for excellent content.
Now, use that content to connect with and grow your community. Here are a few suggestions on what to do with such content:
- Blogs
- Enewsletters
- Printed newsletters (which you’ll also post on site)
- LinkedIn articles
- Webinars
- White papers
- Articles
- Presentations
- Little videos
- Sales letters
- In-person conversations
- Web site (then share in your social feeds)
Your sharing of information, insights and ideas about the latest breakthroughs, technologies and applications has extreme value for customers because they want to help their companies stay head of their competition, bring their products to market faster, become more efficient and cost-effective, and be as current as possible where print is concerned.
Be that breath of fresh air for your print customers. Inspire them. Wow them. You’ll benefit as much as they will.
(c) 2015 Margie Dana.