Create Your Own Recovery Plan
Oct
7
Written by:
10/7/2011 10:17 AM
Create Your Own Recovery Plan
If you’re a printer and you’re not printing you’d better be marketing. Many printers have run for cover in these current economic times. Perhaps you should turn your knowledge into a recovery campaign for your business.
Many printers are feeling the pinch due to tightened spending with print budgets, but opportunities are out there and plentiful if you’re willing and able to take advantage of them.
The old adage of adapt or die to the market conditions apply in this tough business climate. Printers by their makeup have seldom used marketing as a way of approaching customers or prospecting for new clients.
Here’s 5 ways to stimulate your own recovery
1. Repackage your business offering
In a tough economy many businesses experience real hardship, and many cut back on their expenditures. They don’t stop spending; they look for bargains and value added services. How can you package what you offer to customers that appear to provide savings compared to your regular offering?
2. Communicate louder and more often
Many clients react to the news and the economy by cutting costs and print budgets. You can gain an advantage by simply being visible to them while other companies are not. Be positive and let your customers know about new value propositions and what you can do for them. Give them that compelling reason to do business with you.
3. Generate better leads that transfer to conversions
This is sales 101, when times are tough it makes sense to focus on lead generation and conversion. Remember the old rule of averages; you may have to speak to 100 prospects to get two customers. Prospecting and lead generation takes commitment and hard work. Drive people to your website with offers of discounts on services for future purchases. Transform your sales pitch into a buyers guide. The people that respond are automatically pre-qualified.
4. Ask for more business from your current customers
Everyone knows it takes more time and effort to gain a new customer than to win business from a customer you are already doing business with. Can you increase the volume of business with a current customer with a product or service you may not have offered in the past? Ask the question; are you a preferred vendor, or a partner in their business. Find out what they need most when it comes to printed products.
5. Shift your target market
You have sold to your existing customers in the good times, but now they maybe under pressure in these tough times. Instead of waiting for them to recover, are there products you offer that may appeal to a different group of customers. When was the last time you went to a meeting at your local chamber of commerce? Let those members know how you can work with them on campaigns to enhance their businesses.
Call in the Professionals
If the task of creating and maintaining you own marketing campaign is too daunting, there are companies that specialize in the design and implementation of customized programs. One such company is MMI Edge.
GE Richards Graphic Supplies and MMI Edge can provide complete campaign services, along with email, printed mailings, lead generation and CRM profiles to assist you in sales efforts. You can contact MMI Edge - http://www.mmiedge.com or call 914.502.0064, or you can send an email to sales-general@gerichards.com
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