Jumping on the 2021 “Word” of the Year Bandwagon

what was the 2020 word of the year

What’s your “word”? You can’t spend five minutes on social media in January without having ten of your friends, especially those in direct sales, ask you what your WORD of 2021 is going to be. My WORD? Yes, your word. Your word of focus. The word that will make all the difference. The word that […]

2020: The Pandemic, the Pivots and the Perseverance of Print

2020: A year in Print

I am counting the days to 2021 as if it were my release date from prison. I’m keeping my head down, not rocking any boats, just trying to make it through the next few weeks without being sent to the hole or getting shivved. This year has truly been unprecedented and although that word has […]

Setting Communication Goals for 2021 and Beyond

setting communication goals with customers

The year that seemed it would never end, and that most people said was the worst they have ever experienced, is ending. Let’s take a moment to sit with that. Let it wash over you. It’s almost over. And now, it is time to start making plans for 2021 and beyond. Don’t hate me for […]

Three Ideas for Prospecting Print Sales in 2021

strategic planning for new print and marketing business in 2021

Imagine having to drive 45 minutes for a haircut, or to get clothing altered. Imagine no malls or shopping centers to stroll through on a rainy Sunday. Imagine no family-owned restaurants to bring out of town guests, no local bars to watch the big game, no local small businesses when you need to run and […]

Simply the Best – Sales Lessons from “Schitt’s Creek”

sales lessons from Schitt's Creek

Not only am I a TV junkie, but I like to fancy myself a trendsetter (kinda). And so, I am proud to say that I have been watching Schitt’s Creek since it premiered on the POP TV network back in January of 2015. If you have never seen it and you like comedies, I would […]

Try a ‘Hail Mary’ Play for a Happy Holiday Sales Season

take risks to win big with customers and sales

Huddle up Printerverse! We have been inching our way down 2020 to the goal post and the end is in sight. All of our pivoting and re-planning and prospecting has gotten us here. Good job! Now, we can kick and take our chances to score a few immediate sales before time runs out, or we […]

Five of the Best Ways to Be a TERRIBLE BOSS and Tank Sales

how to succeed with a bad boss

We’ve all probably had one or more. Some of us have probably even been one at one or more points in our careers. You might even have one or be one right now…  A TERRIBLE BOSS. But if you’ve never had one, or been one, and you have put it on your bucket list for […]

Create Customer Conversion Programs for Print Sales

marketing programs for customer conversion

It’s almost month seven of COVID disruption and things are not getting much better. The United States leads the world with cases and deaths and the trajectory presented by Dr. Fauci from the White House Coronavirus Task Force shows that pattern will continue unless we mask-up, and get it together. His informed opinion is that […]

Say Bye-Bye to #BlackFriday and Hello to Print Opportunity

Black Friday sales and marketing strategy

For as long as I can remember, the day after Thanksgiving in the U.S. has been the Olympics of retail shopping in malls and stores. When the clock strikes 5 am (or some ungodly hour before dawn) thousands of in-store shoppers go gang-busters for doorbuster deals on electronics, winter clothing, holiday gifts, and more. Stores […]

2020 Marketing Trends to Watch For Print Business Growth

grow with 2020 marketing trends

COVID-19 has brought us the future of digital marketing even faster than the rapid pace we were experiencing. These changes are not something we can wait out until things return to business-as-usual. This month I’ve looked at 2020 marketing trends and how a commercial printer can respond. When faced with unknowns, I look at what […]

Help Customers Make a Profit by Using Print in NEW Ways

new ideas for generating new business and sales

“If you want me to use print for marketing, make it the kind of print that makes me some money.” My client told me he was leaving money on the table with every purchase. The will-call counter for his specialty parts business was so busy he had no time to upsell customers. “If we’re not on […]