What does carbon measurement mean for the printing industry in 2024?
Carbon footprint is becoming more important than price This is what some major buyers of print for well-known organisations and brands have told me. Their directive is that reducing carbon is so important that their organisations are prepared to spend more to achieve this. Not everyone is thinking this way yet, but the trend is spreading. And it is not just big brands that are looking at this: many smaller companies are investing in reducing their carbon footprint. Printing companies have to reduce their carbon output If you want to be a supplier to these sorts of companies, it is…
5 trends that will affect the printing industry in 2024
How far can you see into the future? I listened to a podcast recently where the presenter said that they used to be happy predicting five-year trends. However, now they struggle with more than six months. I felt it important to share some of the issues that I think printing companies should be thinking about at the start of the year. Will they be the same ones as I recommend at the end of the year? We will have to wait and see! Carbon measurement This is going to become even more important in 2024. Not only is this the…
What do you want to achieve next year?
It’s that time of year again! Yes, it’s when many people start focussing on setting budgets and targets for next year. Most targets centre around figures. But it is good to look at the wider picture as well. Here are some other areas where it is worth thinking about targets: These areas may not be figure-based, but they are all essential parts of creating a good company that achieves its targets. Here’s a guide to creating realistic sales targets Check out “How To Succeed At Print Sales”. You learn all the elements of a successful sales target and the powerful…
Here’s a 7-point checklist to make your end of the year easier
It’s about to get busy We are approaching the busiest time of the year for many print companies. It is easy for this period to descend into chaos. That’s why it is good to plan for it now. Here are seven easy action points to lessen the chaos 1. E-mail your customers and remind them that it’s a busy time of year and that they need to be organised 2. Offer a bonus for early jobs. This doesn’t have to be a price discount: it can be a box of chocolates or an extra product that is cheap to produce…
This a great time of year for upsells
ABU Lots of sales trainers talk about Always Be Closing. At this time of year Always Be Upselling. What can you offer customers as an extra when they are placing an order? At this time of year it is always good to remind people about: There’s one golden rule to remember Raise your prices for upsells. If they are placing an order on the spur of the moment, customers aren’t price checking. You have a great opportunity to make more profit! Want a step by step guide to upselling? Check out my Easy Upsells guide. It is a simple 8…
How do you write a good sales letter – 4 tips
A lot of people tell me they struggle to write a good sales letter It’s hard. How does one grab the prospect’s attention? Here are four handy tips: Sell a service A service is easier to differentiate from the competition compared to a product. Services are often valued more highly by buyers and they can be prepared to spend more on them. Also, services are also more difficult to compare than product specifications. It makes online price comparisons a lot harder. Use a before-after-bridge It starts by raising a problem that buyers will typically face (the before). Then it immediately…
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…
