Do your customers e-mail to ask about the delta E value of their print? Do your customers call to ask if your digital press is toner or inkjet based? What about FM versus AM screening? Line screen? Certainly, they must be concerned with the JDF that carries their job through production. These details are highly debated, contested, and validated within very small circles of industry experts, which ultimately means it only matters to the same experts. Then why do print service providers and industry suppliers alike talk about the very things that are irrelevant?
Purchasers of print are continually less discerning for a multitude of reasons. Most print buyers are faced with restricted budgets due to the anemic economy. Even more are turning their attention and advertising dollars toward online outlets and social media to reach their target markets. Those who never lost sight of the value of print are still price sensitive eschewing high cost applications like foil stamping and die cutting. If the sky is blue, grass is green, and spelling is error free, then the print is often “good enough” – the new benchmark for quality. The fact of the matter is that your customer does not have any interest in the underlying technology, processes, or controls that produce their jobs. At the end of the day they are your customer because you provide a tangible product or intangible, value added service that is necessary for the success of their business.
Since print can no longer be sold on the merits of craftsmanship, how can it be sold? Foremost, print must fulfill a definable business need whose results can be measured. An example would be using customized direct mailer containing a personalized URL (pURL) for a new product launch. The mailer would provide the tactile feel that is uniquely print, while the personalization would provide an opportunity to capture analytics on response rates, interest level, etc. In this case, the print is sold as a bridge to further online interaction or by selling cross media. The challenge in this example is to successfully merge the background, complex technology with the client’s need in order to provide value for the customer and higher returns for the print provider. The value added does not have to be limited to cross media applications, but could also include variable data, kitting, online fulfillment, mailing services, or the myriad of other services that print providers can provide. This means the new conversation should focus on the unique value of print to solve a problem or offer a solution rather than dots, ink, or even price.
Speaking the language of your customer’s needs will always be more valuable than speaking to the crowd.
It appears that industry suppliers are also changing their conversations. For all that Print09 was not, it was refreshing to see most exhibitors abandon the practice of preaching irrelevant selling points. Instead of talking about sheets per hour, JDF specifications, and the like, most vendors were taking an IBM-esque consultative approach by offering expert guidance for their customer’s businesses. The resounding message was that your vendors want to be a trusted, dependable resource for your business – more than a solution provider but a good business partner. Shouldn’t this be the message from all of us involved with print?
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