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Samples - Sinfully Simple Tools for Prospecting Every single time I ask professional print buyers how a printer can get their attention, one answer pops up again and again: SAMPLES. Printers, you can't buy or manufacture a more effective sales tool than the simple Sample packet. Most buyers have neither the time nor the interest in taking cold calls from printers they're not familiar with. They're busy, and let's get real: they're already working with a core group of their preferred vendors. If you have any hope of yanking them away from one of those vendors, you have to show them the following: 1) that you have something special (and different) to offer them, 2) that you produce the types of materials they need and that can help grow their business, and 3) that you do so masterfully. So before you pick up that phone, think about sending a neat little packet filled with beautiful samples that will be relevant to that particular decision maker. Don't just dump a fistful of your company's generic samples into an envelope. You need to do your research first. Find out what a particular company produces, and then handpick samples to match. Make sure you label each sample so that prospects can tell at a glance who produced it and how to reach you when they're ready to give you a call. Always include a one-page, well-written letter with your sample packet. Proof it at least three times to eliminate typos and bad grammar. A little canned content is fine for this letter, but you need to make it clear that you're writing to an individual in a particular industry and that your firm serves this industry in X, Y and Z ways. If you can't (or won't) accomplish this in your sales letter, don't bother sending it at all. Think about how many generic letters and packages these buyers are getting day after day. If yours doesn't reveal that you have insights into the recipient's particular field, you're wasting time. Recently I was speaking with a professional buyer in the insurance industry. She shared with me that even after telling a new printer not to call her for business, but to send her samples instead, he rang her up - at 9 am on a Monday morning. "Are you kidding me?" she said to him. It's not uncommon, she told me. She repeatedly asks for samples from printers cold-calling her. They must assume it's a brush off, because they're not sending her samples. Here's the bottom line: send samples that are relevant. Look at it this way - you'll never meet a print buyer who says, "Stop with the samples - call me instead!"
Comments? Talk to me at mdana@bostonprintbuyers.com. ©2008 Margie Dana. All rights reserved. You're free to forward this email to friends and colleagues: please do! However, no part of this column may be reprinted without permission from the author.
Print Buyer Brainstorming Session Wednesday, December 10th Here's how it works: over dinner and drinks, I'll facilitate a relaxed discussion about topics that most professional print buyers can relate to - and have opinions about, such as:
Where else can you sit, dine, and share ideas with your peers in print buying? Come join us on December 10th and learn a thing or two. Or three. Only $35 for Members of Boston Print Buyers; $55 for others. Add $10 for walk-ins. Bonus Freebie! Every attendee will get a Wrap-Up Brainstorming Document within a week. To register, visit our current event page. Print Buyer Glossary Update We've just added about 100 new terms to our Print Buyer Glossary…terms like Applet, B2B, CRM, SEO, and SSL. Take a look! Send us your own terms as well; we provide a form for this on the main Glossary page.
First FREE Print Buying Session for Nonprofits Only! Monday, November 24th Frank Romano and Margie Dana will deliver a FREE session on print buying and designing for print, limited to those who work for nonprofits. Seating is very limited; it's first-come, first-served! To register, send an email to info@printbuyersinternational.com. American Printing has been a loyal supporter at our annual Print Buyers Conference for all three years. We are delighted that they will host our first free session for nonprofits. The session will take place at their American Premier Facility, 181 Narragansett Park Drive, in Rumford, RI.
Guest Article from Ripon Printers As an Exhibitor at our 3rd Annual Print Buyers Conference last September, Ripon Printers accepted our offer to submit an original article. This article, called "Digital Printing - The Right Technology for the Times," is posted on our site under Resources. Please take the time to read it.
Job Bank Postings John Hancock Funds in Boston, MA, is looking for a Document Center Operator. Two current positions exist at United Way of
Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, located in Boston Massachusetts:
For more details, visit our job bank page. Print Buyer Poll for November Buyers, if a print rep goes over your head to get your boss to use his firm, which result is likely?
Cast your vote on our home page at www.bostonprintbuyers.com.
Margie's Upcoming Speaking Gigs
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BPB Sponsor Directory Take a look! The BPB Directory offers firms a unique online presence for their prospective customers. Interested? Visit our sponsor information page for details. Become a Site Sponsor and "Travel with the Tips" Have your logo appear on our site and emailed out to thousands of people worldwide each week at a very reasonable rate. Email us at info@bostonprintbuyers.com for details!
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