Artificial Intelligence will soon be producing print files: three reasons why this could be a problem
AI generated files are coming Want to write a university-level essay? Create an image in the style of a well-known artist? Or create a piece of content? Artificial Intelligence is already carrying out these tasks on a regular basis. Content writers, artists and designers will soon be at threat from this new software. For printers, that means some content that you are printing has probably already been generated by AI. And it won’t be long until AI is creating “print ready” files. That creates potential problems In a previous article I demonstrated that much of the printing industry isn’t even…
Nine ways Artificial Intelligence will affect the print industry
Artificial Intelligence WILL change the printing industry Print is no different from any other industry: it will face major challenges and be offered big opportunities as AI becomes more commonplace. The pace of change may be high. In my last article I highlighted how many people were not prepared for the scope of change that is likely to be coming. In an attempt to make members of the print industry more informed about what might happen, here are my nine ways in which I think AI will change our industry. Artwork The printing industry should be bracing itself for huge amounts…
Why the printing industry isn’t ready for Artificial Intelligence
Only one in three people think AI will have a major effect on print I ran a survey on LinkedIn on how people thought AI will affect the printing industry. There were 143 votes from a wide variety of roles and countries. I was shocked by the results. Nearly a quarter of respondents thought that AI would have no effect or only have a minimal effect on our industry. And over 40% thought that the effects of AI would really be seen in design and artwork. Results like this show just how under-prepared the print industry is for AI. AI…
Seven places you should use case studies
Many companies waste their case studies They put a lot of effort and resource into creating great case studies but not enough people see them. That’s because they are not sharing them enough. Here’s a checklist of where you should be sharing case studies: As specific pages on your website Case studies are worth their own page on your website. I recommend one per case study. They can work as highly effective landing pages. This means you can direct highly targeted social media posts (see below) to very specific and relevant content. As headlines on your website Impressive results from…
Who has sales potential at your company?
The role of the sales person is changing Maybe there is someone already at your company who could bring in more sales for you? Do you have a young member of staff who understands social media or is good at creating content? Is there a customer services person who is great at upselling? What about a press operator who gets on well with others and could persuade a few people they know to try your company out? You might not have to hire a new sales person Maybe you have enough skills with your current team. They don’t have to…
The four essential ingredients of a successful case study
It is easy to feature the wrong type of case study I see many printing companies proudly present “case studies” on their website and elsewhere. But often these are little more than glorified testimonials. They do not inspire readers to place work with the company. The wrong case study achieves nothing other than making the person who wrote it, the printing company and their client feel good. With that in mind, let’s do a deep dive into successful case studies. What is a case study? A case study is a detailed overview of a specific project that a company has…
Make all your staff sales people
Everyone in your company might know a potential customer It’s time to encourage them to go and look for new business for you. Here’s a simple 3-stage process: Let your staff know you want more business and ask them to find customers Tell them the type of customer you want: this is vital so you aren’t inundated with prospects who aren’t the right fit Incentivise your staff. Try offering them 10% of the turnover of the first job from a new customer Here’s the proof that this works When I worked as a production assistant for a publishing company I…
Are sales people still relevant?
Do you still need sales people? Sales people are expensive. There are numerous ways to win business more efficiently nowadays. These include: Online advertising – but this is more expensive than you might think and there is a lot of online competition Relying on repeat business – I am always surprised at how many printing companies rely on this when most companies lose 15% of their customers every year Referral networks and business clubs – these can be surprisingly useful, providing that you have the time to manage this activity successfully Each of these activities still requires some sales resource….
Is your sales person selling what you want?
Do you find yourself printing jobs you never wanted? I hear many, many stories from printing companies about how sales people are bringing in the wrong type of work. I am told that people are trying to bring in work at any cost, rather than thinking about what is right for the company. Here are three questions if you are faced with this issue What type of work do you want? It’s very easy to realise that a job isn’t right for your company. It is a lot harder to work out the right sort of job. But if you…
Seven Different ways to remunerate a sales person
Sales commission isn’t always as easy as it looks There’s a whole range of ways to compensate a sales person. All of them have their plus points and the minus points. Let’s have a look at potential ways to make sure your sales person earns their money in a way that keeps you and them happy. Turnover This is the most common way that sales people get paid. It is simple. But it does come with a number of disadvantages. It is normally paid on top of a basic wage. Pros – This is a very simple way to calculate…
