Column
Stop chasing people down Here’s an interesting thought for you: if someone is chasing you, is it your natural reaction to turn around and start running to them with open arms? Probably not. If you’re like most people, being chased means you’re going to kick it in high gear and high-tail it out of there!
A better way What if instead of chasing down prospects you could set them up to want to build a relationship with your brand and pursue you? Aren’t those the types of customers you’d want anyway? Dan Kennedy, author of Magnetic Marketing, makes this point beautifully when he says, “When you stop chasing, you no longer have to resort to gimmicks to set yourself apart from the pack of hungry competitors running alongside you – like slashing your prices, or grouponing specials – they are magnetically attracted to you. Attraction brings to you clients who are more committed and likely to remain with you over the long term. Another benefit is that customers who come to you through attraction are naturally inclined to remain with you and do business with you over and again.” Attracting clients rather than chasing them is not as difficult as it might seem, and it’s ultimately more natural and more effective. Here are a few ways to attract your audience and leave the chasing to the other guys.
Dangle the carrot To attract print buyers without chasing them down, you have to show you’re worth pursuing. That means using nothing more than the value you bring as the “bait” to reel them in. There’s a confidence required for this approach because instead of running after clients and trying to sell to them in desperation, you’re laying it all out there. You’re saying, “This is the kind of printer we are, this is the kind of value you can expect, here’s why we’re different and why you should print with us.” Prove yourself to be helpful and show
22 | June 2020 | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE
them that you know what you’re talking about. Use website content tools such as case studies and blog posts. Better yet, send your own direct mail so they can see the quality of your printing right in their hands. The idea here is to provide prospects with anything that showcases your knowledge and expertise and proves to them beyond a shadow of a doubt that you’re the best printer for them.
Content is your entry point Once you have nailed down offering content, the next step in attracting people to your print business is to take that content anywhere your audience is likely to be. • Promote your latest case study via your social media channels. • Build an email drip campaign around your latest or best blog pieces. • Use your whitepaper as gated content. • Create digital ads that focus on your content being the initial value given, leaving prospects feeling the need to reciprocate with sales. This is why having consistent content is so valuable to your print business. It’s the entry point to get the attention of your audience and how you begin to build a trust relationship, so they’ll be comfortable buying from you.
Recommend complementary products Recommending other complementary products or services is another way you can provide value through your knowledge. You are offering ways to be helpful by providing that gentle nudge or reminder to add business cards to their letterhead or create a flyer to pair with their new banner. Whatever you suggest, remember that the objective is to be helpful. The product of that helpfulness equals more sales. It’s not more sales disguised as being more helpful. See the difference?
You’ll know you’re in the right place when you can look at the services you provide against the backdrop of your target market’s needs and say, “We’re not able to help them with [blank]. We need to either create a way ourselves to fill that need or we need to partner with someone else that can help.” Your mindset should be: see a need, fill a need. When your prospects and customers recognize that’s your mindset, you’ll start becoming the one who is chased.
Give them a reason to stay engaged with you Once they’ve fallen in love with your brand, you have to give them a reason to stick around. This means you need to continue making deposits into their “value bank” through helpful, educational, engaging content and your service and product delivery. One of the biggest mistakes printers can make here is to have a static website – as in, nothing ever changes. Once a prospect visits a static site, there is absolutely no reason to revisit the site because all of the content will be the same. If they have no reason to come back, why would they? To keep them engaged, regularly supply new content like tips and tricks pages, blog posts, whitepapers, affiliate links, and more. It’s time to stop chasing. It’s time to get your magnets out and start attracting your print buyers to you. Dave Hultin is the President and visionary behind Marketing Ideas For Printers. He’s on a mission to lead printers to success by providing powerfully innovative online ordering solutions and impossible-to-ignore content. If you’re looking to sell more printing and grow your business, follow him on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davehultin
graphicartsmag.com
