Graphicstart

Postcards Still Hits Home

Mon, 21 May 2012 22:07:38 +0200

Postcard Printing

Some say that social media and online networking is the holy grail of advertising. That may be true to some businesses, especially those whose target audience spend most of their time online, but not to everyone. Thereâs still a huge percentage of the population that prefer traditional ads. In todayâs high tech and high speed world, thereâs still room for the good old marketing materials such as the postcards.

Do postcards still work?

In David Ogilvyâs book âOgilvy on Advertisingâ, he calls postcards as his secret weapon. When a client asked him to advertise his hotel opening with just $500, he spent all the money on postcards and sent them to everyone in the local telephone directory. When the hotel opened, everyone was present. Suffice it to say that the postcard campaign was successful.

When done effectively, postcards do work. But there are hesitations on the use of these cards especially that the online market provides more cost-effective marketing strategies. However, the use of postcards will depend largely on the kind of marketing a business needs. For instance, if the business only intends to advertise to a small local community, itâll be best if it advertise on a more personal level. Postcards will seem more viable considering that it will appeal more to local customers.

However, if a solid online presence is desired, then naturally postcards would have to take the back seat, although these cards can still be used to promote the company website. The key here is doing what works best for the business.

Producing postcards

Gone are the days when people have to simply buy generic postcards and send them to prospects. Today, itâs easy to produce custom postcards. Print houses these days allow businesses to produce their cards in the quickest and most affordable way. For instance, printplace postcards can be created overnight or in a one or two-day turnaround allowing business owners to distribute their cards in the quickest time possible. There are plenty of other services offered by these print houses which will prove to be beneficial for the business industry.

Must dos in postcard marketing

â¢ Create a clear, bold headline. It should be compelling and interesting. Example: âLowest Prices this Season: Save 5% on Postcardsâ
â¢ Include a catchy graphic that supports the message.
â¢ Use the appropriate colors.
â¢ Include benefits and not simply features.
â¢ Have an irresistible offer.
â¢ Put a string call to action.
â¢ Include your complete contact details. Yeas, you can include Facebook, Twitter, and other social media accounts.

Leverage on online and offline marketing

If you think that both online and offline strategies will help your business, divide your marketing budget on both strategies. While you are sending emails, posting updates on your Facebook wall, and doing Search Engine Optimization (SEO), create high quality and compelling postcards that can be sent out to customers and prospects. If both strategies are made to work with each other, thereâs higher chance to generate higher response rate.

Summing up

If you know your audience and you have the right list, it will easy for you to produce postcards that will generate goodwill and profits for your business. Sure, we are in the digital age, but thereâs still room for postcards. Who knows? These cards may just be the holy grail you are looking for.

Check out printplace postcards to get discounts and save 5% on postcards and other special offers.

Direct Mail Strategies: Getting Out of the âJunk Mailâ Status

Sat, 19 May 2012 07:27:07 +0200

When was the last time you received a personal letter or card on your mailbox? Last year? The holidays? Perhaps never. With the proliferation of online technology, personal mail has become a lost art. Less and less people these days send their messages through snail mail. Itâs the smartphone, social media, or email that has become their electronic postman.

But entrepreneurs and marketers can still find great value for traditional mail. With the virtual market getting highly saturated these days, they can take advantage of the less saturated traditional market. This is where direct mail will come in handy. Sending postcards, sales letters, and greeting cards are great ways to keep in touch with customers and prospects in a less intrusive way. While other businesses are busy getting known in the online market, take this opportunity to strengthen your reputation through direct mail.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to save a fortune in producing direct mail materials these days. A lot of print houses today offer varied price cuts such as the take 5% off greeting cards and free shipping options on all direct mail pieces printed. These discounts will help take away a sizable amount on the cost required to carry out a direct mail campaign.

However, despite extra effort exerted in cutting down the cost of the production, a lot of direct mail materials end up in the trash bin. There are a lot of reasons for this but most of them are avoidable.

Getting direct mail out of the trash bin

This is perhaps one of the biggest challenges of business owners. Producing direct mail materials that will actually be read will require considerable effort. For some ideas, here are some strategies on how to make your direct mail catch peopleâs attention:

â¢ Use high quality paper. Sales letter or postcard printed on cheap paper wonât encourage people to read it. Itâs important that you send something to your customers that feel valuable. If you donât exert effort on the paper, people will assume that your message is not that important.
â¢ Make it lively and catchy. Splash color on your materials. Black and white prints simply doesnât work these days. With color printing affordable today, thereâs no reason for you to miss out on it. Just find the right print shop that will offer you reasonably priced color printing. Thereâs the postcard or greeting card discounts from printplace which you can avail of. Other print shops offer other discounts. Research well to find the one best suited to your budget.
â¢ Be different. Think of unique sizes and shapes, bright colors, and unusual designs. This may cost you extra in printing and postage, but the response rate will surely be higher.
â¢ High quality mailing list. Create or rent a list that contains names of people who fit your target market. Donât forget to put a tracking coded on each direct mail you send out so you know which recipient responded and which did not. This will help you update your list and get rid of the unresponsive prospects.

A well crafted direct mail material is a great way to get in touch with people who donât spend a lot of time online. With proper planning, it will be easy for you to send direct mail that will be read.

Check out greeting card discounts from printplace and get a take 5% off greeting cards and other special offers.

Embracing Changes in the Printing Industry

Fri, 18 May 2012 18:12:37 +0200

Change in the Printing Industry

Eons ago, writers, journalists, and marketers take everything to the printer. They get the entire story, type it on manual typewriters, proofread it, and send them to the local printing company. Today, computer technology has revolutionized the printing industry. Direct to plate printing is now possible where the client simply send a disc to the printer and printing is done straight to the plate. This paved the way for short run and full color printing.

With these innovations comes the sad part: the commercial printing industry is struggling as more and more businesses turn to the Internet. Digital printing is challenging traditional printing. Digital provides a more affordable manner of printing, thus, reducing wastage and allowing small print companies to compete with large firms. With Kodak filing for bankruptcy and Encyclopedia Britannica halting the publishing of its print version, more and more print providers are reassessing their business structure and production operation to keep up with the changes.

The Internet has truly changed the way printing and communication is done these days. The consumer-driven world not only wants instant access to information but they expect to get it all the time. Social media, email, smartphones, and e-readers have also become prominent, thus, opening a lot of doors to opportunities.

The big question is will the print industry prevail? That depends on whether or not the company is able to realize and keep up with the technological advances. The Internet may have provided the market with paperless communication, but itâll be a long time before we see a paperless community. There will still be people who prefer tangible materials especially when sending and receiving important communications. If the printing place is able to keep up with the developments, thereâs high chance that it will survive the technological revolution. After all, the basics remain the same: printers still need to learn the traditional offset process if they want to succeed in todayâs high-tech and high-speed market.

Variable data printing and web-to-print are among the notable innovations in todayâs print industry. With variable data printing, the printer can produce large numbers of unique documents with personalized message for each recipient whereas in web-to-print it saves time and provides flexibility as people are able to order their materials right at home or at the office. Both these printing techniques help connect the online market to the traditional market.

Clever printing companies understand that utilizing these modern printing techniques will allow them to offer interactive, personalized, and powerful materials to their clients. This will reshape their company and provide them new opportunities that will help advance their business.

Without a doubt, digital technology has greatly affected the print industry. It is gaining mainstream attention these days as more and more people realize its value. Traditional printing is no longer enough as personalization becomes is an important part of businesses these days. Creating small or large numbers of materials in the shortest time possible is what people especially business owners look for today. Whenever they need to produce small print runs in the quickest time possible, they can do so as printers have tailored their printing capabilities to their clientâs need.

Printing is not going to die anytime soon. Itâs here to stay. Printing companies only have to learn how to take advantage of the new printing technologies to stay on top of the game.

Visit Printing Place for the latest innovations in todayâs print industry. Change in the Printing Industry and your business!

How to Sustain the Growth of a Small Business amid Economic Downturns

Fri, 18 May 2012 09:20:22 +0200

PRINT with your Small Business to Sustain Growth!

Small businesses are important for the growth of the economy. Although they donât have the financial capacity of big businesses, they help support local communities in expanding job opportunities. Also, they offer innovative products in the market which large businesses cannot match.

In the next months alone, thousands of small businesses will be created, but sadly, half of them will close down at the end of the year. In their chaos to start their own small businesses, startup entrepreneurs often fail to keep up with their customers and prospects. They fail to look deeper into things that matter a lot in business.

Nevertheless, small businesses will always have the chance to grow in an economic boom or downturn. What they only need to do is grab the opportunities available to them before they lose them forever. There are plenty of help available these days, from financial institutions to provide capital to printing companies to help in producing printed marketing collaterals. Taking advantage of them will help the business gain competitive advantage.

For small businesses trying to stay profitable in todayâs economy, here are the basic steps to take to sustain their growth:

Step 1. Be optimistic. If you want to survive through the downturns, you must be prepared for all the hardships and untoward incidents that can happen along the way. Believe that you will achieve success like you always wanted. Confront the chaos and the reality that there will be times when the hardships will be unbearable.

Step 2. Have a strong purpose. Build your business on a strong foundation based on good values and principles. Donât make money your main purpose. Find a deeper purpose that will help make peopleâs lives better while letting you achieve business growth. Have a clear mission that supports your purpose and vision. In due time, the business can become one of the most well-known and famous in the community.

Step 3. Attain personal growth. Remember that you are the captain of your ship. You alone can propel your business towards success. If you have doubts on yourself, you canât attain personal growth. Use your experiences to gain better understanding of your business, your target audience, and the market as a whole. Be persistent. Try to make the right decisions time after time and shake off the bad habits you have been doing for long. With honesty, persistence, and patience, growth will be easy to achieve.

Step 4. Adapt to the changes. Itâs hard to deny that technology is not affecting your business. With the recent technological developments, a lot have changed in the marketplace. This necessitates you to adapt to the changes to gain better leverage in the market. Look into the power of social media, email marketing, online printing and the Internet as a whole. Youâll be surprised with the things you can do online.

Step 5. Grow your network. If you want your business to grow, increase your customer base. Go out there and meet new people, but make sure you donât forget about your existing customers. Remember that business is not all about making money but building relationships as well.

Grow every part of your business. Donât just concentrate on one area and neglect the others. Only when everything is working effectively with each other will your business grow. Once you are able to do that, you can conquer anything. And that elusive success you have been waiting for will now become a reality.

For more information and inquiries about the article feel free to visit Printing Companies and Online Printing

Auto Stickers as Advertising Tools

Thu, 17 May 2012 14:09:57 +0200

Auto Stickers for Advertising

The stickers are known as one of the best options for utilizing the needs of advertising and marketing. In the past, the concept of stickers was limited to product labeling, branding and decoration. They were also used for educating and children in the friendliest way. In the modern day, the stickers are however known as the one of the biggest tools of advertisement. They are custom printed by different companies in die cut shapes and colorful appealing designs. The best thing about stickers is that they easily and immediately capture the interest of potential customers at a glance.

The stickers are printed by making use of two main types of stocks: the standard sticker paper stock and vinyl stock. The stickers printed on paper stock paper stock are less durable and reliable as compared to the vinyl stickers. The stickers printed on vinyl stock are highly durable and long lasting. They donât fade off or peel after months and even years of application. They have the tendency to bare direct exposure to sunlight and rain. The stickers printed on vinyl are highly recommended for outdoor use and therefore prove to be one of the most effective outdoor advertising products.

The use of auto stickers such as car bumper stickersand window stickers has become very popular means of advertising in the modern era. They are the best way to send your message to the public while on the go. Auto stickers are also called moving billboards as they are always moving along with the vehicle. The auto stickers are printed out of vinyl stock and are easy to install and remove. They donât leave any type of residue after being removed from the car. They are used for promoting fundraising, political and advertising campaigns. Auto stickers are also called auto decals.

Aside from bumper stickers, there are also car window stickers. They are placed on car windows. These stickers are mostly placed inside the car. They are also called car window decals. The car window decals are printed out of either standard sticker paper stock, vinyl stock or static cling stock. The difference between static cling stock and other stocks is that it does not use any kind of adhesive for application. Instead of an adhesive, static cling makes use of the static current to stick itself to a certain surface. Static cling stickers are made for use on glass surfaces. They are reusable and repositionable stickers and donât loose their magnetic power even after a long period of time.

Printingblue is one of the leading online printing companies that specialize in the printing of all kinds of stickers including bumper stickers,window decalsand static cling stickers. They make use of full color CMYK/PMS (Pantone Matching System) printing process for the printing of your stickers. Printingblue offers free design support, free unlimited design revisions, free proof reading and free lamination along with free shipping and handling of your sticker printing orders at your doorsteps in minimum turnaround time.

Auto Stickers as Advertising Tools!

Print Business Gone?

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:11:00 +0200

Where has the Print Business Gone?

For printers of the 21st century, online is the way forward. It`s the way print will be sold and managed in the future. The issue is how to get there without losing your bearings, your sanity and your faith along the way.

You may have already dipped a toe in the water, only to get your fingers burnt by poor support, little understanding or lack of any real sense of direction.

Others may be under pressure to go online by customers whose way of doing business now `demands` it.

More still are simply nervous by the whole online thing and really do not know which way to go.

Whatever category you fall into, matters are only made worse by constantly being told that if your`re not into online, you`ll soon be out of business.

The bad news is that may well be true.

The good news is that - with the right help and approach - online Isn`t the insurmountable tsunami it appears to be. It`s more like an exciting wave of innovation that push your business very firmly in the right direction.

All it takes is two things.

The first is to realize that online can only work for you by building it into your business strategy, not just by bolting it on.

The second is to find expert assistance who can guild you along the way. Fortunately, there are some seriously good people out there supporting online business growth for companies like yours. They can help you evolve your online strategy step by step - whether you`re completely new to the concept or already half way there.

So do not feel lost by online. Use this guide to find out more and decide exactly where it can take your business.

When you invest in a copy of `Where Has the Print Industry Gone?` we will send you a complimentary copy of `Where is the Print Business Going?`.
`What an `Impact` these publications will have on your life!

Also, where there is change, there is also opportunity. Further excellent information is available with powerful books, Research Reports, Business Models on;

`It`s a Digital Future`

`The European Printing Industry and the Impact of China on the World`

`Digital Printing Marketing`
`The Digital Future for the Printing Industry`

`The Hidden Overhead`

Open your mind tothe âChallengesâ we face in the Print Industry to be successful.
Investment Price:Â£5.99,Euros 7,$10
Download today direct to your computer as a pdf this powerful 32 page guide plus, a complimentary copy of `Where is the Print Business Going?. Visit the order page on http://www.cavendish-mr.org.uk

Testimonials

"Colin was there at the beginning of my career and over the years has proven to be a significant mentor to me.

Colin is an inspirational business educator and is passionate about industry and in challenging all of us to think outside the box and to strive for new knowledge. His weekly bulletins are thought provoking and prompt us into action, supported with excellent material and case studies it gives confidence in taking the difficult first steps of progress. Colin is never afraid to say what we are all thinking in the hope of keeping us ` Fit for Business`. With his help I am a very successful business man with knowledge of business and people management."

Tony Gill
CEO
Mosaic
and former CEO
encore Direct Plc and encore Washington Ltd
2002 Entrepreneur of the Year
UK

" Colin is a first rate professional and trusted business advisor. He is sharp, relevant, authoritative and eloquent. Collaboration with him is a pleasure, and I have learned something new and valuable at every interaction with him and his highly-regarded business materials."

Mark Surguy
Commercial Lawyer
Pinsent Masons

" These publications, DVD`s and CD`s make it possible for the non-specialist to acquire sound knowledge, quickly and effectively"

Dominic Grudzien
Joint Managing Partner
Harrison Scott Associates

" Excellent and powerful publications to help you to become more successful"

James Shand, Chairman-Xplor UK

`Colin as helped me, my management team and all our personnel and my business since 1999 in the following areas; Sales increased by 92%, Net Profit increased by 50% plus, updated all Assets, implemented new computer systems, new management systems, mentor/coach and contributed to our successful business. Colin is an excellent and powerful Non-Executive Director who helps me, my personnel and my business become more successful.The company was successful sold in 2007`.

David Pearson
Former Managing Director
Pearlan Decals Limited
UK

"Colin Thompson is acknowledged as one of the foremost consultants in the graphic arts arena. His reality based experience has been used to good affect to help those operating in the sector to take their business to a different level. He has a no nonsense approach and quickly recognises the core of any issue enabling him to provide relevant and appropriate solutions."

Sidney Bobb
Chairman
The British Association of Print and Communication
London
UK

" Colin and I worked together in the USA almost two decades ago and we remain in contact over the years as we follow each others` career. I have always enjoyed reading his communications, research reports, publications and thoughts on business and business process. I respect his opinions and have been able to implement many of his recommendations within my print manufacturing businesses here in the United States. His advice has been extremely insightful"

Casey Campbell
President and CEO
Printegra
USA

" I did recognize immediately the thought leadership and authority that comes from Colins person and work. You`ll find many very committed and brilliant people in this industry. However, Colin out performs them with his passion for this business, his impressive heritage, his ability to simplify the complexity of Digital Printing and his open mind, enabling him to not only concentrate on Document Management but also on other very promising parts of human life"

Jan Hol
Senior Vice President - Communications
Oce
Corporate Headquarters
Venlo, The Netherlands

--- --- ---

More Economics and Business Inspiration:
`Accelerate with Impact` -
by Colin Thompson ISBN: 978-1-84549-289-2

Accreditation: UK Registered Learning Provider:10025755

ENDS
Note: About the Author Colin Thompson

Colin is a former successful Managing Director of Transactional/Print Manufacturing Plants, Print Management/Workflow Solutions companies and other organisations, former Group Chairman of the Academy for Chief Executives and Non-Executive Director, helping companies raise their `bottom-line` and `increase cash flow`. Plus, helping individuals to be successful in business and life in general. Author of several publications, research reports, guides, business and educational models on CD-ROM's/Software and over 400 articles published on business and educational subjects worldwide. International Speaker and Visiting University Professor.

Print Business Gone? No, you just have to look for it!

Measuring Business Success: 4 Ways to Do It

Wed, 16 May 2012 17:35:21 +0200

If you canât measure it, you most certainly canât improve it. This mantra stays true in the business industry. After pouring your heart and effort in launching the business, how do you know whatâs considered a job well done? How do you measure your success?

In simple terms, you have to come up with a score card that will help you determine the outcome of the job. Nothing will really be accomplished unless you set a standard that will measure the progress of the business.

Sure, good revenues will tell you about the progress of the business activities but it wonât give you a good picture of how far you have really gone. The true measure of success is not on how well your plan has gone but on how you have learned about certain things in your business including your customers, offer, and the market.

Success is not about generating customers but about learning why they decided to patronize the products or services you offer. Itâs about knowing how your business affects the market, what things you like about running your enterprise, and where you consistently waste your time and money. While only time will tell how successful your business is, there are ways to measure the gradual success of your business.

Customer base

A growing customer base is a sign that the business is effectively reaching its target market. This is an indication that the company will be able to reach its long-term goals as it is able to accommodate more and more customers. With every distribution of business cards or table tent printing and update in Twitter or Facebook, new leads should be generated.

Revenue

This is often the first thing a business owner gauge when measuring their success. If there is enough money left after deducting all the expenses, thatâs a sign that the business is growing. But if there is not enough money left after deducting everything, itâs an indication that the business is falling.

Offer

While revenue is the easiest way to measure success, itâs still important to figure out why people really buy. What encouraged them to patronize the business? What features of your products influenced them to buy? Were they impressed with the way you presented your offers on your brochures, posters, or custom table tents? Would they be willing to refer you to others? How impressive and effective the offer is will tell you that thereâs high chance for your business to succeed.

Satisfaction

This comes in three areas:

Customer â Knowing that you have satisfied the needs and wants of your customers is the greatest measure of success. Just one satisfied customers will already start a word of mouth which in turn will bring more qualified customers into the business.

Employee â When employees are satisfied, they are encouraged to provide quality service to the company. They will give their best in their job which will help the company attain success.

Owner â This refers to whether you are satisfied with the results or not. If you are dissatisfied, this can reflect on your business and affect your employees. The end result will be a disaster.

Running your own business is tough, much more knowing whether or not you are succeeding. No matter where you are in business today, use what you have learned to measure your success and continue to take measures to improve your business.

For more information and inquiries about the article feel free to visit Table Tent Printing and Custom Table Tents

Reality Check: 6 Reasons Why Startup Businesses Fail

Mon, 14 May 2012 20:27:18 +0200

Why do a lot of startup businesses fail? Thatâs the most common question business owners often ask. According to Leonard Lodish, a professor of marketing at Wharton, startup businesses fail because âthey bungle their marketingâ. They have no idea what awaits them when they started their business. They simply assume that once the business is on-going, thereâs nothing to worry about.

Unfortunately, this crooked mentality is what makes startups fail. Based on the data from the U.S. Small Business Administration, majority of startup businesses go out of business in their first 5 years, and 2/3 are no longer in business 10 years after they were formed. The statistics may be brutal but thatâs the reality. This is how difficult it is to start your own company.

Here are some of the deadly sins startup businesses commit that make their failure swift:

1. Having no market at all. A lot of businesses start their enterprise without a clear view of who their target market is. If you start your business this way, you are only wasting your money. Some of the warning signs of market problems are having no good value proposition, wrong size of market, and wrong timing.
2. Using the wrong marketing tactics. We are in the digital age where new technologies sprout by the day. If you keep following the trend, thereâs little chance that you will make a connection with your target audience. Itâs best to stick with the strategies that work for your business. If printing posters or brochures works for you, stick with it. Add in new materials from time to time but make sure it is suitable for your budget and your marketing need.
3. Having the wrong partner. Just because you are friends doesnât mean that you will work well together. Just watch how the two of you will change once money is put between you two. Itâs best to choose a partner that is the opposite of youâone whose weakness is your strength and your weakness is his strength.
4. Premature spending. Spending too much too soon will only result in one thing: bankruptcy. Youâll only realize you are out of money when itâs already too late. At the start of your business, resist the temptation to spend every dollar you have. Spend wisely so your resources donât get depleted easily.
5. Poor management. This is a common problem that most startups experience. Weak management strategy and execution will only bring the business down easily. Before the business is started, itâs crucial that the management strategy is planned well. Likewise, the right employees should be hired so the business will be built correctly.
6. Overlooking gut feeling. Look at Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, and Michael Dell. They learned early on to follow their gut. This is what made them successful in their businesses. It will help to listen to what your gut tells you especially in making big decisions. If your gut tells you to stick with custom poster printing instead of investing in email marketing, by all means follow it. It helps to listen to your gut now and then.

Mistakes are part of business life, but there are precautions that can be done to lessen the impact of these mistakes. Take note of the common mistakes mentioned above so you can do the necessary steps to avoid them.

For more information and inquiries about the article feel free to visit Printing Posters and Custom Poster Printing

Learning from your Mistakes: 7 Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

Sat, 12 May 2012 13:33:48 +0200

After years in business, you probably know by now what makes your business fail or succeed. Perhaps you have already mastered the pattern of what works and what doesnât. Mistakes are part of running a business. Itâs part of the learning process. But if nothing is done to remedy these mistakes, the business will never grow and succeed.

Itâs all too common to see businesses fail because of poor marketing strategies. The product, resources, and audience are there, only that the strategy was inappropriate. It was not planned well, thus, the failure of the campaign. What could have been a gainful venture ended up with wasted resources. Here are some of the common marketing mistakes that pop up over and over again:

1) Investing on rationality rather than emotions. Sure, planning a marketing campaign should be based on rationality, but remember that consumers donât use their rationality when making purchases; they use their emotions. If you want to influence them to make a purchase, donât use reason with them, rather connect with their emotions.
2) Creating confusing messages. Most marketing messages these days are rampant buzzwords based on clichÃ©s. Even simple flyers and folded postcards contain the most jargon you can ever find in a marketing material. Marketers believe that if they donât use clichÃ©s no one will trust their claims. However, most messages that break through the noise and make an impact are those that are simple and straight to the point. Why? Because itâs rare and people easily know what to expect from the company.
3) Making everyone their market. No company can make everyone their target market. This will only result in failures and lost sales. Clever business owners know that by narrowing their target market they are increasing their chance of gaining better brand appeal. As the right audience is targeted, positive results will be achieved.
4) Extensively going with the trend. While new trends provide a better and faster way of communicating with people, you shouldnât be quick to adopt every tactic that sprout in the market. Itâs best to stick with what works with you so you can maximize your marketing efforts and your resources.
5) Overusing marketing collaterals. Some businesses think that if they spend a lot on their brochures or custom postcard printing, people will be impressed with their professional appeal. What they donât realize is that itâs not the look or appeal that impresses customers but how the message is delivered. If valuable advices on how people can benefit from the products or services offered will be placed on each marketing material, thereâs higher chance to get more leads.
6) Competing too hard. Competition is good and easy, especially if you know that you can easily outdo your competitors. But if you just try to offer the same thing only better than what your competitors are doing, itâll be extremely difficult to outshine your competitors. Itâll be best to be different than be better.
7) Giving up too easily. If you already have a plan and you know you can do it, push through with it. Donât chicken out once your competitors are on your tail. Remember that not everything you do will succeed. There will be times you will fail, but donât take them too seriously. Instead, learn from these mistakes in order to grow.

These mistakes must be swiftly corrected so they donât get bigger and more expensive to correct. Thereâs always room for errors in business, but it should never be tolerated. If you want to succeed, learn from your mistakes and try not to commit them again.

For more information and inquiries about the article feel free to visit Folded Postcards and Custom Postcard Printing

Customer Intimacy: A Strategic Way of Building Customer Relationships

Fri, 11 May 2012 15:28:56 +0200

Customer intimacy brings growth, customer loyalty, and competitive advantage like nothing else. But when we talk about intimacy we donât mean getting your customers into bedâunless you sell beds. We mean getting to know your customers like no one else. Showing them that they are what matters to you and you understand their needs and wants will encourage them to come back every time.

This intimate relationship is integral in establishing and maintaining close and long-term relationships with customers. This will bring a fresh perspective to the business which will help spot problems, discover hidden opportunities, and create a dynamic bond with customers. Over time, the business will not only be useful but indispensable as well.

Custom intimacy is more of a person to person relationship. In the past, simply knowing the customerâs name is enough to show them that you remember them. But these days, the criteria of custom intimacy have grown. True and matured intimacy now lies in shared knowledge, understanding, and compassion. The relationship should not be one way. If the other is deeply committed to the relationship but the other is not, that will only result in short-lived relationships. If this happens, what is left is broken loyalty, reputation, and satisfaction.

Gaining competitive advantage with customer intimacy

For years, businesses have relied on their products and marketing strategies to gain competitive advantage. But as competition gets tougher and tougher the focus on differentiation has shifted to customer service and intimacy. Sure, any business can brag about their high quality and low priced products on their custom notepads or business, but that wonât be enough in gaining peopleâs trust and loyalty. Excellent customer service and customer intimacy is not the

Customer satisfaction is not enough

Customer intimacy is more than satisfaction. Donât impose goodwill at armâs length but at a closer range. Both you and the customer should work and think together, exchange useful information, and aim for positive results. This will require extra effort from you, but all the effort will be worth it once the results come in.

Nurturing an intimate environment

Here are a few ideas to think about when building an intimate relationship with customers:

- Share information and build trust. This will generate loyalty and eventually intimacy.
- Create a cooperative relationship. Involve your customers in developing new products and solutions. Also, let them interact with your brand. Give them the chance to reach out and help with your prospects.
- Treat the problems of your customers as your own. This will help you see eye-to-eye with your customers and provide solutions that will be beneficial to them.
- Bond with customers emotionally. Align your business goals with the needs and moral issues of your customers. If you are able to get in touch with their emotions, establishing intimacy will be easy.
- Enchant them. Include personal touches on your marketing materials whether it is color notepad printing, brochures, or posters. The personal touch will help you get remembered.

Customer intimacy takes place on all levels and channels. In order to have intimacy, a business owner should be willing to build genuine and long-term relationships with their customers. They should be willing to listen to their customers, and then establish what is needed before offering solutions. If this formula is followed, the business is destined to be the fiercest competitor in the market.

For more information and inquiries about the article feel free to visit Custom Notepads and Color Notepad Printing