Connections
Print Shop Decisions That Make You Money
The economy’s tough right now. I know it, you know it and your customers know it. So, what are you doing to set yourself apart and make those sales? What are you doing to make sure you’re winning the quotes you need to stay lucrative?
What are your tiebreakers?
The first thing you should be asking yourself is “What are my tiebreakers?” Basically, what sets you apart from the print shop down the street? Do you offer environmentally-friendly printing? Can you do UV-printing? Are you locally owned?
Today, a customer can get piles of quotes and estimates from all over the Internet, so what are you doing to set yourself apart? You need those tiebreakers to ensure they pick you and not your competition.
Are you on top of your sales stats?
Here at Lloyds, we used to measure our sales success on a month-to-month basis. That was okay, but then we started measuring our success on a day-by-day basis and guess what? A lot of winning days add up to one great month.
You know what else? It’s a lot easier to track changes and stay motivated when you’re watching totals every day compared to month-by-month. In a competitive market like this one, taking 30 days to notice a downturn could be too late.
Are you learning from your mistakes?
What happens when you put in a quote? Does it disappear into the nether never to be seen or heard from again? Instead of just firing off quotes, follow up on every single one. Call the customer directly and ask yourself “Why wasn’t I successful?”
Were your prices too high? Maybe they were too low? Maybe you didn’t have the image the client wanted?
Instead of moving on aimlessly and blind, take the time to look at what you did, so you can better your chances of winning the next bid.
