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Margie Dana

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Let Your Customers Go

by Margie Dana

Referrals are a top source of new business for printers. If your customer sings your praises to her print-buying colleagues, your reputation takes on an aura. Depending on how much you're loved, you might even glow.

When groups of professional buyers meet, what do you think they talk about? That 6-C brochure they just produced? Rising postage rates? Gorgeous paper? Ha!

No. Here's what they do: they go fishing.

They fish for resources, from the names of commercial printers to those of mail houses, web-to-print experts, digital printers, and so on.

"We need a specialty printer who does building wraps."

"I'm looking for a great printer to handle all our corporate stationery."

"Do you know anyone who does short-run, on-demand books?"

Then they name names. Let's hope it's yours. For if your customers love the work you do, you're golden. They'll talk about certain sales and service people. If they like the whole experience of doing business with you, they'll go into that as well.

For 25 years, I've been around professionals who buy printing and related services, and they are very generous with referrals when they're socializing with their peers.

So, if your customers love you, let them go. Let them go - by encouraging them - to conferences and other events run by organizations that cater to them. Let them go meet other customers, both buyers and designers. Suggest that they join associations that cater to their needs and offer professional development. Whether they live in Boston or San Francisco, Leeds or London, you have a lot to gain if they mingle with their peers.

They'll spread the word about you. Consider it free publicity.

Comments? Talk to me at

Everyone is welcome! You do NOT have to be a print buyer to attend.

Please join us November 2nd at the Westford (MA) Regency Inn & Conference Center. We have built a rock-solid program of 12 dynamite sessions for our first annual conference.

This event, which will attract hundreds of print professionals, is designed to enlighten and delight you.

Early Birds Save $$

Early Bird Registration (until September 15th) is just $119. Go to our schedule page to choose your sessions and register online.

Want to Exhibit?

We only a few booths left. For pricing, benefits, and all other details,
go to our exhibitor page.

Who's Exhibiting?

So far, in alpha order -

Adobe Systems, Inc.
Alliance Print Group
Colonial Printing Company, Inc.
Creative Automation
Daniels Printing
Deschamps Printing
DMI, Inc.

Flagship Press
Hewlett-Packard
J. S. McCarthy Printers
Japs-Olson Company
Millennium Graphics
NeoPrint, Inc.
Printable Technologies

Reynolds DeWalt
Sappi Fine Paper
Shawmut Printing
StoraEnso
The Journeyman Press
UniGraphic (also sponsoring the keynote!)
Winthrop Printing

Upcoming BPB Program: VDP & Cross-Media Communications

When:	Wednesday, September 13th, 6 - 8:30 pm
Where:	Millennium Bostonian Hotel
What:	Cocktails, networking, dinner, program and a trivia contest.
Cost:	$20 for Members; $50 for Nonmembers

Sponsored by Reynolds DeWalt of New Bedford, MA, this program will focus on the hot topic of VDP.

Topics to be covered:

Database requirements
Database? I don't have one……. Now what?
Elements of your VDP campaign: What can be variable and what works
Utilization of this technology for data collection

Our presenters:

Peter DeWalt, President of Reynolds DeWalt
Scott Dubois, Cross-Media Specialist
Susan Roche, Cross-Media Specialist
Eric Johnson, Vice-President, Sales

Register today! Don't wait and risk missing out! We only have room for 60, and our events fill up very fast. If you join Boston Print Buyers, you can attend this event for just $20. Nonmembers can register for $50.

More information »»

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