I’m Offering More Services, What’s Next

Twice in the last week I had this conversation, so I thought I should scribble it down before I forgot. We have talked about the importance of offering more value-added services such as marketing services. Some companies go the next step further and position themselves as offering marketing services. In other words, instead of saying I am a printer who can print long runs, short runs, variable data and large format, they say I am a service provider offering marketing services which includes long runs, short runs, variable data and large format.

Of course it’s important to do more than just “talk the talk,” you also have to “walk the walk.” That means if you want to prove your credibility you should demonstrate you can do this by creating a variable data printing campaign with email marketing, PURLs, landing pages, etc. And there is no better promotion than to discuss the success by companies who use these tools. And oh, by the way, we offer these services.

Last week, I had this conversation with a printer in Portland, Oregon. I told them that they should “kill 2 birds with one stone.” These marketing tools are a great way to invite customers for a seminar. The seminar can discuss these innovative marketing tools and the seminar itself is a good lead generation tool for those services.

I suggested offering a workshop to clients and prospects and to invite an industry expert to act as a “draw” to help increase attendance. I have been part of these programs many times and have seen the successful results they create. You can offer this within your company and invite people to an open house or rent a space and put together a program. Strangely enough when I mentioned that yesterday, the company said they had done this two years ago at the Aquarium (great venue), but never really followed up on the leads.

The most effective programs I have seen combine presentations by the senior management team, a recognized industry expert and members of their technology and sales teams. Most include some food and drinks. The success is to both the tactics (variable data printing, emails, PURLs) and the sales efforts of staff to get their customers and prospects to attend.

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