Why printing companies should think about the aftermath of coronavirus now (and two action points)
The world seems a grim place right now If you are like me, you probably know people with Coronavirus. And you probably have friends and family who are firmly in the at-risk sector. It can be hard to look forward when we are faced with so much human suffering. In addition, many companies are faced with having to take drastic action to keep their businesses running. There is a huge downturn in business for many printing companies. It can be hard to think about better times. But they will come. We will get through Coronavirus Let us remember that China…
Five steps printing companies should take to survive coronavirus
This was unthinkable a few weeks ago At the beginning of 2020 it was business as normal. Now, just ten weeks into the year, many printing companies are wondering how they are going to survive. Jobs have been cancelled. Work has slowed to a trickle. Their staff are at risk. Desperate times call for action. Most people have not been in this situation before. It is a learning curve for everybody. The one thing no-one can afford to do is carry on with “business as normal”. But that is what has surprised me in conversations with many printing companies. Too…
When is the best time to contact a prospect? Here is the definitive answer
The research is wrong! There have been numerous research studies, advice and opinion published on when is the best time to contact a prospect? And there is one thing that is the same in all the pieces: none of them agree on any time. Some will tell you that it is 11.10am on a Wednesday morning (how did they manage to work out that every prospect is in a talkative and engagable mood at precisely that time?!). Others will say that it’s a Monday afternoon. (By the way, there may be loads of prospects who are ready to take calls…
UKvUSA episode 2: Creating Conversations That Matter to Print Customers
Why is it so hard to have a conversation with a new prospect? Potential customers are becoming better and better at ignoring sales approaches from printing companies. So what is a print sales person to do about it? In episode 2 of our UKvUSA podcast, Deborah Corn and I discuss what printing companies need to do in order to gain the interest of the customer. Listen to learn the one big frustration I have with the printing industry that stops it from winning new business! Please add your thoughts below. Links Mentioned in this episode: Matthew Parker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/profitableprintrelationships/ Deborah Corn:…
UKvUSA episode 1: Will Your Print Business Survive in 2020?
UKvUSA is back! This popular duel between Deborah Corn and I returns in a new format as a podcast. In this first episode we discuss what printing companies need to do in order to survive in the current environment. And there are plenty more challenging debates to come! Please add your thoughts below. Links Mentioned in this episode: Matthew Parker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/profitableprintrelationships/ Deborah Corn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahcorn/ Print Media Centr: https://printmediacentr.com PS If you liked what I had to say, make sure you sign up below for regular updates from me Get your free copy of “10 Common Print Selling Errors And What…
Happy Christmas!
As we approach the end of 2019, I wanted to take a moment to wish all of you in my community a very happy Christmas with those around you and some peace and relaxation. And I hope that 2020 is a good year for everyone! A special thank you to all those that: Are or have been clients Have worked with me on so many exciting projects and events this year Are members of my “Views From The Buyer” newsletter list Have taken the time and trouble to read, comment upon and challenge me on my blogs I am now…
Why print is the perfect partner to LinkedIn
Do you remember everyone who connected with you on LinkedIn? I have over 5,000 connections on LinkedIn. With the best will in the world it is hard to remember every single one! What makes it even harder is that many people reach out with the standard connection message and never engage further. As good as LinkedIn is for forging great business relationships it only works if you do something to stand out from the crowd. Here’s how one connection made sure I would remember her – by using print A few weeks ago I had a request to connect from…
Matthew Parker featured on Podcasts From The Printerverse
Hear Deborah Corn from PrintMediaCentr and myself in conversation. Here are some of the things we cover: – why printing companies should not sell print – why the price, service, quality triangle is no longer relevant – how to communicate effectively with today’s buyers who are scared of traditional sales channels – interesting statistics on how prospects behave – how printing companies create social proof – key mistakes that printing companies make with their websites and on social media – the difference between the UK and US print markets – how much knowledge do buyers really have? – why…
11 ways to sell more print to your customers
“If only I’d known you provided that” This is a sentence that many customers have probably uttered over the years. No matter how hard we try, most of our customers don’t know anything about at least some of the many products and services that we offer. I’ve certainly come up against this issue myself. How many opportunities are we losing as a result of this? How much money is this costing us?
Warning: most printing companies are on track to lose 15-20% of their customers in the next 12 months
Do you plan for decline? No matter how hard you try, it’s impossible to keep all your current customers. Some will stop using print, some will choose another supplier and some will simply go out of business. If you stay being reactive to your customers needs, your business will almost certainly start declining. This will happen sooner rather than later. That’s why it’s essential that you create a plan to create new business