9 Marketing Lessons to Grow Your Organization In Any Economy

Let's get right to the lessons:

1. Follow up.
2. Follow up.
3. Follow up.
4. Follow up.
5. Follow up.
6. Follow up.
7. Follow up.
8. Follow up.
9. Follow up.

Studies of sales practices continue to show that most salespeople don't follow up more than one or two times after making a presentation or giving a quote.

Marketing is no different.

Most businesses will attempt to deliver one or two marketing messages and rarely follow up afterward. Unfortunately, one or two delivered messages will rarely produce tangible results.

We live in a world where people are bombarded by marketing and sales messages every day. So it's unrealistic to expect one message -- no matter how creative the graphics or how great the sales copy -- will make it through that clutter.

Our logical minds would tell us that if our target audience wants the product or service we're selling, they'll take us up on the first offer we provide. But that's not how it works in real life.

The reality is that most people's busy, scattered lives often get in the way of acting on an offer, even if they had every intention of doing so. Whether we like it or not, the rules of the game have changed. For better or worse is debatable.

So what's the solution? 

Follow up. How many times? Start with two or three, and build from there.

Customers don't always go for the lowest price. They buy from whoever they perceive will provide the best option. Businesses that communicate their value proposition regularly capture most of the attention and position themselves as the most obvious choice. By doing so, they make the buying decision easier.

Can you follow up without being a pest or nuisance?

The best salespeople aren't pushy, but they are persistent. They present their case by providing valuable information so the prospect makes the best decision. That's how your messages should be presented -- useful information without the hype.

To get your messages read by your best prospects and your cherished customers, you must deliver them consistently and across several marketing channels. For most organizations, a combination of print, email, social, and web-based messages works effectively. 

So what makes an effective follow-up marketing plan? Start by creating a compelling message that would have value for your audience. Spread that message across the most effective marketing channels for your business. Do it consistently. Rinse and repeat.

Following up on your marketing messages will make you stand out the same way as the salesperson who doesn't give up after one presentation or quote. In the end, you'll become the most logical choice when your prospect is ready to make their purchasing decision.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

For more information about Printing Arts Press please visit www.printingartspress.com

How Not to Feel Like a Fish Out of Water at Your Next Networking Event

Networking events such as Business After Hours and organizations like BNI and Meetup.com provide great opportunities to meet and mingle with other, like minded business people outside their place of business in a more relaxed and non-threatening environment.

Unfortunately, some people do not get the most of this great opportunity because they feel awkward or simply don't know what to say or do. Instead of getting excited to start building relationships, they end up heading for a quick exit, the buffet line, the bar, or the restroom. If this describes you, there is a better way.

To make this type of networking event feel comfortable and more enjoyable, you need to have a plan. When you're prepared, you'll feel more in control. Being in control can help relieve the anxiety of being in a new setting and situation.

Your plan should include making new friends, building relationships, giving before asking, and looking for opportunities to grow your business. It's important to attend business networking events. They have a social aspect but are primarily created as places to develop mutually beneficial business relationships.

4 Simple but Powerful Questions to Ask of Every New Contact

"What do you do?"

"How long have you been doing that?"

"What do you like best about what you do?"

"How would I know if someone in my circle of contacts would be a good referral for you?"

The first three questions provide an opportunity for the other person to talk about themselves, which everyone likes doing. They also allow you to start building a bond and relationship by getting to know about the other person and their interests.

The last question is the key. It will make you stand out and also serve notice to the other person that you want to help them grow their business. (Remember: you give before you get.) At the same time, it plants a seed in their mind that this in turn is also what you are there to do.

You now have a simple but very effective network marketing plan.

At your next networking event, remember to ask these four simple questions. Doing so will give you the confidence to feel like you're where you want to be and know exactly what you're doing there.

It's the difference between feeling like a fish out of water and being a fisherman at the best fishing hole in town.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

For more information about Printing Arts Press please visit www.printingartspress.com

Marketing That Works Today

There are two broad categories of marketing you can use for your organization, and it's important to understand the difference. These two types of marketing are called brand/image marketing and direct response marketing. Although both can have a place in marketing your organization, for small businesses one (direct response) is much more effective and efficient than the other.

Brand or image marketing works off the premise that you can create awareness for your business or products by building name recognition.

As Wikipedia explains it, branding "involves associating a product name or image with certain qualities in the minds of consumers." Successful brand marketing needs mass media like TV, radio, and billboards to push the message to a broad audience. For large companies with big ad budgets, this can be effective. Unfortunately, institutional marketing like this is difficult to track, making it hard to quantify a return on investment.

Fortunately for small businesses, there is a better way. It's called direct response marketing, and it's designed to generate an immediate response. This type of marketing has a message that -- when delivered correctly -- compels the receiver to respond by calling the business, walking into the business, or visiting the company's website for a special offer.

Direct response marketing is typically delivered via print (catalogs, sales flyers, postcards, etc), radio, and the Internet. 

Ads are results-driven, so it's easy to find out quickly if the campaign was successful or not. As a result, it's much more effective for most businesses because it can be measured, tracked, and held accountable for its performance.

There are several effective direct response formulas. One of the most popular is: Attention, Interest, Desire and Action (AIDA).

Attention is captured with a compelling headline. The best headlines focus on benefits to the customer.

Interest is generated by telling a story. Explaining the process and care that goes into each of your products is an example of content that can generate interest to read further.

Desire is created with a compelling offer.

Action is prompted with a deadline (time sensitive: respond by) and a call to action (call today, come by to redeem, visit the website).

Whatever the formula, good direct response marketing uses reasons other than just price to get customers to call or visit. Using direct response marketing to tell your company's unique story is a powerful weapon to help you stand apart from your competitors and increase the effectiveness of your ad campaigns.

Posted by Chuck Gherman


For more information about Printing Arts Press please visit www.printingartspress.com

Printing Arts Press wins Print Excellence Award for Environmentally Sound Materials

Printing Arts Press Printing Arts Press is proud to announce it was recently awarded a 2011 Print Excellence Awards from the Printing Industries Association, Inc., serving Northern Kentucky and Ohio (PIANKO). A Bronze  Award was given for a Newsletter printed with Environmentally Sound Materials.

“The experienced judges and printing experts stated that the quality of print among the nearly 500 entries was some of the best they had seen! Difficult times often bring out the best in people and that was certainly the case with the 2011 Print Excellence Awards entries. The quality of the entries made judging more difficult than ever, but our highly experienced and professional panel was great,” said Association president Jim Cunningham.  “Winning a Print Excellence Award is the mark of true craftsmanship by leaders in our industry.”

 “We are especially proud of our award for Environmentally Sound Materials. We strive to be an environmentally responsible printer not because we have to but because we want to be.” said Chuck Gherman, General Manager.

Each year, Printing Industries of Ohio and Northern Kentucky holds its Print Excellence Awards Competition to reward Ohio and northern Kentucky printers that demonstrate excellence in 34 categories. This year member companies submitted nearly 500 printed pieces and three out-of-state expert judges ranked them in a regional competition. This year’s judges were Ken Eberhart, The Merrick Printing Company; Karl Drewno, Heidelberg USA; and Glenn Petry.

 About Printing Industries Association — serving northern Kentucky and Ohio (PIANKO) serves commercial printing companies and suppliers to the industry in its service area.  PIANKO provides a broad range of products and services to its membership.  PIANKO is an affiliate of the national Printing Industries of America, the largest graphic arts association in the world.  For complete information on PIANKO and PIA, please visit www.printing.org.

About Printing Arts Press — For over 65 years, from creative design to marketing to printing publications, books, postcards, or brochures and mailing services we’re able to meet our clients’ printing needs, generating time and cost savings while innovating tried and true tactics for growing their business.Printing Arts Press is also a winner of multiple Printing Industry of Americas Premier Print Awards and Print Excellence Awards.

Posted by Chuck Gherman

For more information about Printing Arts Press please visit www.printingartspress.com

Printing Arts Press wins Print Excellence Awards

Printing Arts Press is proud to announce it was recently awarded four 2010 Print Excellence Awards from the Printing Industries Association, Inc., serving Northern Kentucky and Ohio (PIANKO). A Silver Award was for an Annual Report printed with Environmentally Sound Materials.

“Difficult times often bring out the best in people and that was certainly the case with the 2010 Print Excellence Awards entries. The quality of the entries made judging more difficult than ever, but our highly experienced and professional panel was great,” said Association president Jim Cunningham.  “2010 Print Excellence Award winners exemplify the incredibly creative work of our Ohio and northern Kentucky printers even in extremely difficult economic times!  The fortunate customers of our members should be proud to display their winning products or pieces.” “I know that everyone here put in a great deal of craftsmanship to win awards of this kind, the competition was outstanding this year. We are especially proud of our award for Environmentally Sound Materials. We work hard in being an environmentally responsible printer.” said Chuck Gherman, General Manager.

Each year, Printing Industries of Ohio and Northern Kentucky holds its Print Excellence Awards Competition to reward Ohio and northern Kentucky printers that demonstrate excellence in 34 categories. This year member companies submitted 416 printed pieces and three out-of-state expert judges ranked them in a regional competition. This year’s judges were M. David Merrick, The Merrick Printing Company; Clarence Penge, Heidelberg USA; and Glenn Petry.

Printing Arts Press won the following awards:

Best Newsletter

Most Valuable Community Brochure

Posted by Chuck Gherman

For more information about Printing Arts Press please visit www.printingartspress.com

About Printing Industries Association — serving northern Kentucky and Ohio (PIANKO) serves commercial printing companies and suppliers to the industry in its service area.  PIANKO provides a broad range of products and services to its membership.  PIANKO is an affiliate of the national Printing Industries of America, the largest graphic arts association in the world.  For complete information on PIANKO and PIA, please visit  www.printing.org

About Printing Arts Press — For 65 years, from creative design to marketing and mailing services we’re able to meet our clients’ printing needs, generating time and cost savings while innovating tried and true tactics for growing their business.Printing Arts Press is also a winner of multiple Printing Industry of Americas Premier Print Awards and Print Excellence Awards. For more information on Printing Arts Press, please visit  www.printingartspress.com

Printing Arts Press wins Web2Award

Printing Industries of America and the Digital Printing Council are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2009 Web2Awards. In its inaugural year, the Web2Awards are the industry’s first and only contest established for printing industry websites worldwide.  

 “These awards highlight the role the Internet has come to play in the printing industry. By recognizing excellence in print-related websites, the Digital Printing Council helps to encourage each printer’s advancement in doing some portion of their business in the ecloud,’” said Julie Shaffer, vice president, digital technologies for Printing Industries of America.   

An independent panel of undisclosed judges deliberated over dozens of print centric websites. They evaluated the each website’s entire experience based on six scoring criteria. For each company sales range, the highest score in a given category won Best of Category, then Best in Show. Exceptional Website Awards were given to high scores regardless of category.

 “I was impressed with the quality and diversity of the entries. Obviously some were better than others, but overall they all demonstrated how they are embracing the Web and using it as a tool to advance their print related business,” commented one of this year’s judges.  

Exceptional Website

Company: Printing Arts Press

Title of Winning Entry: Printing Arts Press .com

Posted by Chuck Gherman

For more information about Printing Arts Press please visit www.printingartspress.com

About the web2awards — The web2awards were established by Printing Industries of America and the Digital Printing Council in 2009 to recognize, honor, and elevate printers who are achieving excellence with their online presence. The mission of the Web2Awards judging body consisting of educators, designers, Web programmers, e-commerce experts, marketers, and industry consultants is to honor excellence in the various categories of print-related websites.

About Printing Industries of America —  Printing Industries of America is the world's largest graphic arts trade association, representing an industry with approximately one million employees. It serves the interests of more than 10,000 member companies. Together with its nationwide affiliate network, Printing Industries delivers products and services that enhance the growth, efficiency, and profitability of its members and the graphic communications industry through advocacy, education, research, and technical information. For more information please visit Printing Industries of America

 About Printing Arts Press — For 65 years, from creative design to marketing and mailing services we’re able to meet our clients’ printing needs, generating time and cost savings while innovating tried and true tactics for growing their business. From small to large organizations the markets we serve include publishers, colleges and universities, electric coops, credit unions and banks, hospitals and healthcare, associations, manufacturing and distributors to mention a few.

Meanwhile, technology and automation advancements allow us to boost productivity, reduce costs and deliver better quality print in less time for our clients. We are proud to have won some of the printing industries highest awards.

Service is our signature and close personal relationships remain our cornerstone, allowing us to partner with clients to understand their business and anticipate their needs . . . to push print’s boundaries.

Printing Arts Press wins Multiple Awards, adds Mailing and Prepress Equipment

Printing Arts Press is proud to announce it was recently awarded three 2008-2009 Print Excellence Awards from the Printing Industries Association, Inc., serving Northern Kentucky and Ohio (PIANKO).

“Although the difficult economic times slightly reduced the number of entries, the creativity and quality of the entries made the judges’ selection incredibly hard.” said PIANKO president Jim Cunningham.  “2008-2009 Print Excellence Award winners exemplify the excellent work of our Ohio and northern Kentucky printers. Our members and the customers they represent should be incredibly pleased with their winning product or pieces.”

Each year, PIANKO holds its Print Excellence Awards Competition to reward Ohio and northern Kentucky printers that demonstrate excellence in 34 categories. This year member companies submitted more than 520 printed pieces and three out-of-state expert judges ranked them in a regional competition. This year’s judges were Susan Higgins, Worth Higgins & Associates, Inc.; M. David Merrick, The Merrick Printing Company; and Richard Presley, Eastman Kodak Company.

Printing Arts Press will be entered in the regional competition in an association wide competition for Best of Category and Best of Show prizes that will be awarded in June 2009 at the Grand Ceremony, being held in Columbus, Ohio.

Printing Arts Press won the following awards:

One Gold Award, Corporate Communications Campaign

One Silver Award, Calendars

One Bronze Awards, Newsletters

“I know that everyone here put in a great deal of craftsmanship to win an award of this kind, the competition was outstanding this year,” said Chuck Gherman, General Manager. 

Additional Equipment increases efficiency and adds capabilities

Printing Arts Press has recently expanded its capabilities with the installation of the Kodak Staccato Screening, Kodak Prinergy Workflow System, Kodak Matchprint Proofer and Kodak Trendsetter Platemaker. With server based control the system offers extremely fast processing speed that enables Printing Arts Press to achieve higher quality proofing, plates without processing, higher productivity, more flexibility and increased reliability.

“We have also upgraded our bulk mailing software to offer the best postal discounts to our customers. To have sophisticated Systems of this type is great for our existing and growing customer base,” said Chuck Gherman, General Manager. “Adding these new pieces of equipment is part of our overall strategy to build a Smart Factory with the latest technology.”

Posted by Chuck Gherman

For more information about Printing Arts Press please visit www.printingartspress.com

Founded in 1945, Printing Arts Press proudly serves Associations, Manufacturers, Colleges and Universities, HealthCare, Energy and Financial Institutions, Agencies, and Publishers across Ohio and the Midwest with creative design, printing, mailing and fulfillment. Printing Arts Press creates good impressions for clients for everything from annual reports, brochures, catalogs, sports media guides, programs, flyers, magazines, letterheads, envelopes, postcards, posters, forms kits and fulfillment, bulk mailing, books, newsletters, manuals, bill stuffers, calendars, rack cards, directories and journals. For more information please visit www.printingartspress.com 

Printing Industries Association, Inc. serving northern Kentucky and Ohio (PIANKO) serves  commercial printing companies and suppliers to the industry in its service area.  PIANKO provides a broad range of products and services to its membership, including workers’ compensation and product discounts.  PIANKO is an affiliate of the national Printing Industries of America, the largest graphic arts association in the world.  For complete information on PIANKO and PIA, please visit www.pianko.org