How do you get hold of customers when they are working from home?
Homeworking is here to stay We have all been forced to embrace staff working from home by the spread of Coronavirus. Now many companies are now re-evaluating their working practices. A major company near me has five large office buildings. Three were closed at the outset of the virus. These three buildings will now stay closed permanently. Many of their staff are delighted to stop having to drive into work every day. Whilst it is certainly not for everyone, a large number of employees are delighted at being based at home. This creates a problem for sales people Trying to…
Three things printing companies must do at Christmas
Would you be able to plan your Christmas in just 30 minutes? I was told about a couple who entered a supermarket only 30 minutes before it closed on Christmas Eve. The husband raced round to get all the ingredients for their Christmas lunch. Meanwhile, the wife was busy buying presents. I hear they made it to the checkout with seconds to spare! However, I can’t help thinking that it was all a bit of a rush. Surely things would have been more enjoyable if they had done some planning first.
Why failing to educate customers can lead to print companies going bust
I have an important duty as a parent. It is my duty to educate my daughter. It is my responsibility to make sure that she behaves properly. It is my responsibility to make sure that she understands how to interact with other people. And it is my responsibility to make sure that she is capable of leading a fulfilled and happy life when it is time for her to leave home. But parents are not the only people who must educate in this way.
Why using e-mail can cost business big money
Do you hate extra costs? I have been staying at a lot of hotels recently. The room charge that I am quoted is rarely what I end up paying. They manage to find a whole host of extras. Just for starters, there are internet charges, parking charges and room service charges. The list is endless. But it’s very easy to miss these extra costs when you book in at a hotel.
How any printer can get a 32% response rate for a client (case study)
Wouldn’t you love to produce a campaign for clients that produced a 32% response rate? That’s why I think you should look at this case study in detail. I am indebted to Paul Gardner for making me aware of this example. In the campaign, a Porsche was photographed in front of the homes of target prospects. The photos were then used to create individual mailers. People received a photo of a Porsche in front of their house. The response rate was excellent: according to the agency, nearly a third of recipients logged into a website from where they could book…
The extra mile – how printers who make an error can keep customers happy
I remember the first print job that I placed when started my company. The first client is always an important client. I was desperate to please them. So imagine my dismay when I received a phone call asking where the job was. Things got worse. The printer had not chased up for proof approval. So the job hadn’t hit the presses yet. The paper hadn’t even been ordered.
How printers can increase customer loyalty by messing up a job
Recently, I was really disappointed and frustrated. I had taken my wife out for a special meal. We had chosen a restaurant that was supposed to be excellent. But it failed to live up to its reputation. We ended up sending back the main course not once, but twice. The waiting staff seemed hurried and uncaring. We left unhappy, even though we were not charged for our main courses. The next day I sent an e-mail of complaint to the restaurant. As a result of that e-mail they converted me from an unhappy client to a loyal and regular customer….
20% of print companies will go bust in 2013 – why you need ICE to stay in business
I recently made a prediction to my newsletter list. I said that 20% of print companies would no longer exist by the end of 2013. I said that one in five print companies would go bust this year. This is a horrible prediction for me to make. I love the print industry. I hate seeing so many good companies go under. Nevertheless, I see 2013 as the final year for many traditional print companies.
The three-stage print factory tour: how printers can turn prospects into clients time after time
Do you like going to concerts? I love live music. But there is so much more to a good concert than the event itself. I love the build-up of anticipation in the days before I go to see a band. Then the big day arrives and I enjoy a great evening’s music. But it doesn’t end there. I enjoy thinking back about the event. And I’ll talk about the concert with friends as well.
How printers can make their customers feel special (without it costing the earth)
I want to tell you about a time I felt really special. I was going to pick up my new car. And the show room had really gone the extra mile for me. The car was parked specially out at the front by a red carpet. There was someone giving the car a final polish. There were flowers on the back seat for my wife and a teddy bear on the dashboard for my daughter. The salesman had set aside an hour to guide me through all the controls. It made me feel that I couldn’t have picked a better…
