You are the master of your own destiny.
Cliché, while (by definition) often overused, are educational. A favorite of mine is that old adage: “There’s never money to advertise until it’s time to advertise Going out of Business.” Printers, no matter how much we want to believe it to be otherwise, are not immune to this business reality. Often we figure the costs associated with producing our products – even the overhead expenses (what a concept!) – but we fail to consider that funds are necessary to promote our printing business so that there will be business tomorrow.
It’s a fact of business life that there are more printing companies than just about any other kind of business; promotional budgets are not only nice to have but essential.
In the marketplace, consumers pigeonhole their vendors. That is to say, customers have a preconceived notion about what the printing company is capable of doing and more importantly how much their products and services are worth. Like it or not, a company’s success depends on which “hole” they are placed in. Customers make their judgment regarding a particular vendor largely based on the information the vendor provides. So, while the customer does the categorization, the supplier (in our case the printer) provides the input by which the customer makes his or her decision.
What this all boils down to is lacking a clear message and your company will be placed with the vast majority of all printers. In this case, your firm will almost be always relegated to bottom finishing and awarded jobs only if your price is the lowest. Not a place you want to be. What’s particularly sad about this situation is that most feel they have no control. In reality, you have enormous control unless of course the “traps” that stop making businesses from taking required decisive actions are ignored. Printing companies who take action in the form of a marketing campaign designed to educate their customers will find their company removed from the “price” pigeonhole and into the “dependable”, “count-on”, “quality” pigeonhole. The choice is yours.
Traps are numerous and easy for printers to stumble upon. These traps (also called excuses) give printers a reason why they shouldn’t market their business. Successful owners and managers know firsthand why self-promotion is a “must”. They simply look at their profit and loss statement at the end of every month and rejoice.
A very common excuse that keeps printing companies from engaging in self-promotion often contains the phrase “there’s no money”. An example of this phenomenon is the company has just spent hundreds of thousands of dollars purchasing new printing equipment. They errantly figure that once the word “gets out” they have this new machinery, customers will beat a path to their door. Puzzling, wouldn’t you say? How do these kinds of companies figure their customers will discover their new equipment – through osmosis? Telepathic phenomenon?
A similar avoidance mechanism centers around low margins. Owners and managers dream up this faulty reasoning: “If I were to promote my business I’d have to raise my prices. If I raise my prices I’ll lose business.” Typically, these companies find their sales volume, along with their profits, eroding year after year.
One of the common reasons to not do any marketing is because the company is actually “too busy.” Huh? The perfect time to market your business is when you are the busiest. Money spent on promotions when busy is anything but wasted. By devoting marketing resources during these “good” times, you will be assured of continuing the busy trend.
Then there’s the age-old adage “it’s too expensive.” What is infinitely more expensive is to miss out on businesses that could be yours if only you let customers know what you have to offer. I like to think that promotion for printers is one kind of “expense” that really can’t be too much. While it may be hard to imagine, as long as your self-promotion campaign is well-thought-out, executed, and the more money that is spent, the greater the rewards.
Suppose you’ve decided that a promotional campaign is necessary and you have the money. Your only roadblock consists of making a commitment that you feel some day you will be unable to continue; therefore you elect not to begin. Here’s an idea: Hire out the creative side of your promotional effort. Chances are, as a printer, you will easily be able to produce the materials. So find a qualified competent source to provide the required pre-press materials. In this manner, you’ll have what you need on a timely basis and your customers will get something from you regularly. You’ll even be able to sleep better at night.
No matter what it takes, self-promotion is one cost of doing business printing companies cannot afford to overlook. The kinds of jobs your customers vend to you, (and therefore the revenues you receive) depend upon it. Marketing is something completely within your control!
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