Marketing Strategies

[Jordon]

Hello all!

We are a new print company and have seen wonderful growth in our first year. However, with every company the object is growth right!?!?

I’m hoping I can get some insight on how your companies sourced growth early on. Did you target newsletters or booklets, direct mail, flyers/brochures?

Who was your ideal target market?Was making cold calls, drop-ins, or mailers show a better return?

Again, we’re a year into the business and have grown to about 6k clicks a month (I know not impressive but sky’s the limit!)

Would you recommend a sales rep based on commission? If so, what commission basis would you recommend. I believe I’ve read elsewhere a 30% commission is average, please correct me if I’m wrong.

We currently offer cut sheet and wide format. Cut sheet is the focus based on production/minute and the labor required. We’re looking to focus heavier on cut sheet.

I truly thank anyone that’s provided any insight.

 

[kslight]

I’ve never worked anywhere where sales people like you are talking about were regularly bringing in enough significant new customers to justify the legwork / costs by cold calling / etc. We did have these type of sales people at times and usually they would get frustrated and leave because they couldn’t find enough print work to make enough money.

Mostly just account management type work.

Partnering with other trade printers and bindery companies would allow you to say yes to projects that you currently can’t do / don’t have the equipment or capacity for. Partnering with print brokers and designers would help you get more work in without employing sales staff.

For the most part i assume the print work from established businesses you could get is work another printer was already doing, so figure out what it is you can do to drive that business to you, what incentive these businesses have to leave their trusted print vendors (hint, it’s not entirely price, and do you really want to attract customers that always want the cheapest product possible). Stopping by the businesses in your direct vicinity is probably a good place to start.

Though wide format is more labor intensive, I think there is more growth potential and higher margin work available, and is something you may be able to offer to some trade printers if they do not have those capabilities internally.