Promote canvas prints to attract attention at rallies, family outings, political rallies; any venue where you want to portray a unique, old fashioned rustic look. These silent salesmen can be hung indoors or outdoors and personalized to fit the client’s occasion.

To sell more canvas prints target new businesses promoting their grand openings, retailers point of purchase displays, shopping mall owners and trade show booths. Another source of business is your local sports teams, tennis clubs, golf courses; anyone who needs temporary sponsor recognition signs.

Mini-media signs like canvas prints can be used on walls, in windows, store aisles and bulletin boards. Their greatest benefit is their ability to stimulate impulse sales. We live in a world of instant gratification. Colorful, canvas prints which show a product in all its detail can be used to direct people to destinations, give information, announce sales, and promote special pricing.

This Sina Lite product has wide appeal, not only for the corporate market but for the consumer market as well. Family reunions, scout troops, non-profit organizational outings, even camps, can use canvas prints to promote their message.

To stand out from the crowd, create colorful, dazzling banners to promote your pull-up banner stands. At trade shows, use them to promote your print products and services. They are also perfect for sales organizations who need temporary, portable signage to direct people in hotels to their meeting places. These would include sales organizations at service companies.

Trade shows are ideal for businesses that are highly visual and require demonstrations, illustrations and eye catching graphics. You will generate instant feedback from potential users. Even state governments have trade offices and put on trade shows for small businesses and niche markets.

Banners inserted on pull-up banner stands serve as a visual magnet to catch people’s attention as they walk by. The magnet can be a photo or drawing although photos work best. Your attention grabber can also be a demonstration to announce a giveaway, raffle, sale, drawing or theme. The banners should be related to the central theme of the exhibit as a whole, complimenting the color, style and positioning of your company or client’s company image.

To sell more large format posters target the markets which include your best prospects; like retailers, mall owners, real estate brokers, building managers, movie theatres and sales organizations.

Show poster samples to clients when selling larger format posters. At trade shows, use them to promote your print products and services and in turn show off that you sell large format posters also. Remind clients and prospects to use them in sales calls, meetings, conventions and seminars.

To sell more large format posters

• Use bold letters for your headline that piques the interest of your prospect.
• Keep your copy short and to the point. Remember this is a poster, not a sales letter!
• A poster should be a graphic with a headline explaining the benefits of your client’s product and service.
• Find out what benefit your prospects are looking for and specify it in the headline of the large format poster.
• Tie the large format posters into a presentations package which would include the poster, foam board, banner and banner stands. Include handouts that need to be printed, business cards for the presenters, foam board for four color display presentations and a workbook.
• Make it clear who you are but not in the headline of the large format poster. Include your name, address, phone number and website.
• Keep graphics and copy in line with your brand personality.
• Develop poster strategies to appeal to customers and prospects who may be able to get to buy more from you.

Like a sign store, large format posters sell themselves when prospects know you sell them. Don’t leave posters out of your sales arsenal. Remind buyers you sell them along with their many uses and functions.

To sell more Coroplast signs target the markets which include your best prospects and potential customers. These would include politicians, people who have yard sales advertising in the classified ad sections of your local newspaper and real estate agents and their parent companies.

Another source of business is real estate managers and building owners, large corporate headquarters, hospitals and schools. Any place where they need directional and office signs.

To stand out from the crowd, create colorful, dazzling displays to promote your Colorplast signs. At trade shows, use them to promote your print products and services, use them in sales calls, meetings, conventions and seminars.

Trade shows are ideal for businesses that are highly visual and require demonstrations, illustrations and eye catching graphics. You will generate instant feedback from potential users.

Even state governments have trade offices and put on trade shows for small businesses and niche markets.

What drives customers today to you instead of your competitors is exceptional customer service. Research by the Loyalty Marketing Institute shows that good customer service does not build loyalty.

When a customer has a problem and you resolve it to their satisfaction, you build loyalty. Problem solving successfully builds loyalty, not just good customer service.

Acquire the Right Customers

Every company today wants to acquire new high value customers and retain them. But who are they? What drives the high value customer today?

They appreciate exceptional, not just good customer service. They enjoy a sense of community; a feeling that they are a part of your business, by the way you communicate with them. They love it when you delight them with unadvertised specials.

According to Pam Danziger, author of Let Them Eat Cake: Marketing Luxury to the Masses As Well As the Classes, “Companies need to embrace a customer-centric definition of luxury. They want specialness, something they can be involved in.

The reason they dig deeper into their pockets is because they have an expectation of superior quality, workmanship and design. But at the end of the day they want something that is special to them.”

As print brokers and printing salespeople you can impress your clients by proudly showcasing your product or service offerings using flyers. You can also showcase the many uses of flyers by using them with a lead generation piece.

Flyers offer a versatile variety of colors, papers, inks and folds which help your customers stand out from the crowd and make a persuasive impression.

When customers call for more information and you qualify them, send them the information and include a flyer showcasing the services and products you offer. Use flyers at trade shows, seminars, presentations, conventions and business meetings.

Flyers are versatile in highlighting your printing capabilities and your customer’s products and services. They can also be used as a less expensive alternative to copies for seminar presentations, binder information, workbooks, etc.

For example, opening a new account with a company that will place orders on a regular basis may be more complex and relationship oriented. The regular orders you receive are more transactional in nature. Make sure you use the right selling tool for the job. Let’s review each element:

The Simple Transactional Sale

Product knowledge
Zig Ziglar said, “It’s easier to explain price once than to apologize for quality forever.” Of course you know the ins and outs of your products
specifications.

That’s important later when you get into specifics. While
you’re pitching your product you want to talk to your prospect about value and the benefits of your product.

Prospects are drawn to mental images of products. Make your product or service visually appealing and show the results of people using your product or service.

“Gift of gab”

When selling simple items the gift of gab will come in handy when you use it to explain the features and benefits of your product. It is still wise to know something about what is motivating the prospect to buy NOW.

You would also use speech to build rapport and further communications and the relationship.

Persuasion
There is not much difference in various brands of staple items like flour and sugar. Persuasive selling arguments won’t do you much good here.

This is where trust, rapport and building relationships comes in. Price can also play a part unless you can differentiate your furniture, car or cell phone features and benefits. Once you compare you use persuasion to show the uniqueness of your product.

Foam board is the perfect lightweight solution because you can move it around the store into different sections and test its effectiveness. Consumers respond better to visual stimuli. Point of sales boards and signage heighten awareness of your products and stimulate sales.

Foam board can be used for demonstrations, signs, fixtures and stand-alone displays. By partnering with printing wholesalers like Sinalite that cater to the trade you can sell the whole package of stimulating graphics with foam board as the lightweight, sturdy backing alternative.

Qualify The Right Customers for buying foam board

People qualify customers differently. Some people simply look at what a customer is spending today. Others see the potential of a long term relationship; a third simply looks for the most prestigious customers.

Still others look for customers who will become enthusiastic about their service and recommend you to anyone who will listen.

It goes back the 80/20 rule. 80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers. So if you’re not weighing your customers as accurately as you’re weighing your widgets, you’re headed for trouble. Business as usual does not build loyalty.

Convert The Right Customers

You have to stand for something. Be different, maybe even outrageous and that will set you apart from the competition. Forward thinking companies today are getting on the “green” bandwagon, giving proceeds to charities important to their local communities and empowering employees to assist in these efforts.

Keep The Right Customers

There are two types of customer personalities. One is the indifferent personality. People who look at buying as a chore. These people want the best payoff between price and convenience.

The second personality type is the engaged personality. People who pursue an outcome of your service as something meaningful and valuable to them.

To keep the right customers, your advertising message and the culture of your company must exude this meaningful and valuable difference.

Multiply The Right Customers

Customers climb the loyalty ladder. Each on a different rung reaching for that exceptional customer experience that will elevate them to Advocate status. The highest rung on your ladder; the place where the 20% high value customers live.

Creating advocates happens when companies create an opportunity for the customer to have an emotional experience. When your service is meaningful enough for them to recommend and talk about, beyond just getting something because it’s a chore, and that requires a trust relationship focused on issues.

The “right” customers who buy foam board are the same type customers who make up your target market. Companies who use signs also buy printing, magnets, pocket folders, signs, banners, posters and prints.

Choose the right customer, give them excellent customer service and your sales will multiply from word of mouth alone.

There are two basic fundamentals for selling more envelopes. These are critical especially during a recessionary period when customers are cutting back on unnecessary expenses.

When the fundamentals are in place, and you are again attracting new customers, you can begin working on unique tactics to further your profits.

One of the easiest ways to begin is to commit yourself to what we call “The 1-2 Punch: Partnerships and Referrals.” Your relationships, or partnerships, with your customers, local businesses and community groups are the foundation of a healthy business.

Community – Your #1 Partnership

Print broker selling is really about relationships. The relationship you build with customers and prospects, coupled with personalized service and genuine empathy for customers, can help you increase your profits without resorting to discounting. Relationship helps you to expand your business from within. Here’s how it’s done:

• Present a happy, friendly and cordial face to help your envelope broker business grow. Get involved in your community by spreading the word about your envelope printing business.
• Keep records of customer names and other pertinent information in your database. Keep track of customer and prospect preferences, demographics and transactional data. (Later you’ll be able to use this important information to find new customers with similar characteristics.)
• Always greet customers by name, with a warm smile.
• Keep track of customer compliments – and ask the customers permission to use them as testimonials in advertisements and promotions.
• Remember to make the most of opportunities to upsell and cross-sell printing to customers. Remind customers that you offer much more than envelopes. You specialize in pocket folders, variable printing, magnets, lamination, banners and signs.
• Use unique envelope shapes and designs in your direct mail to spread the word about your envelope products and services.

Community and Civic Partnerships

Partnering with local businesses is a relatively easy way of spreading the word about unique envelope printing as a print broker.

Identify businesses that use the most envelopes, like professional offices, companies that send out statements and invoices, direct mail promoters and companies who do a lot of shipping.

For example, partner with a direct mail lettershop or graphics house to recommend your envelopes. See if they will buy in bulk from you, store the envelopes and print them for their individual customers or in house.

Referrals: The Other Half of the 1-2 Punch

One repeat customer has the potential to generate thousands of dollars more to your bottom line! One customer’s repeat business, which he’ll give you if you build a meaningful relationship and one customer’s referrals will boost your bottom line exponentially.

Potential customers are more likely to give your envelope broker business a chance if they’re referred to you by a business they already trust. They’re more likely to consider you if they see you at community events, and see your name associated with nonprofit events.

Naturally, they’ll be more open to using your services if they’re referred to you by a friend who is already one of your loyal customers.

Here are some other ways you can encourage your customers to send you referrals:

• Regularly ask if they of any other companies that use envelopes or print envelopes in large quantities. When they say yes, ask them if they would refer a friend to you, and tell them that you have a reward program in place for referrals.
• If they say no, find out what the problem is – and fix it.
• Keep track of referrals in your database. Ask new customers, “How did you find out about us?” When they mention the name of a customer, reward that customer with a gift certificate that has a huge “thank you” on its face. When they mention local events or businesses, be sure to extend thanks to them as well (and sign up for the next event).
• Too shy to ask for referrals? Send them a letter or e-mail asking for a testimonial or referral. Use your own envelopes and show them off creatively.

What to Tell Clients to Make Their Business Cards Stand Out

Keep your card consistent with your branding. Business card graphics should match the theme of your stationery and envelopes along with the type of paper, ink and font.

A business card should include the name of your business, your name and title, your logo, address, phone numbers, email address and website.

For maximum exposure your logo should include a tag line or “positioning statement” which tells people how you are different from your competition.

A proper tag line tells prospects what you do that your competitors won’t or can’t do in a succinct statement. Use the back of the card to list your product line or unique features of your business.

Be open to creative alternatives. Instead of creating an old fashioned business card, think about turning it into a magnet, rolodex card or put a bar code on it which links directly to your website.

Consider using colored card stock or white glossy stock with a four color photograph. Experiment with paper thickness and high quality paper verses do-it-yourself, off the counter card stock.

To create an image of quality, use more white space. Don’t clutter your card with unimportant facts, mixed typefaces and a variety of size fonts. Stick with two fonts in two sizes.

At Sinalite, we believe in using information to educate our clients on the best printing options in addition to proven marketing strategies that get more business to come to you.

Show your customers that you are not just a salesperson but a printing and marketing consultant who can help coordinate their printing and marketing functions to boost sales and profits.

Matte lamination postcards and business cards are more durable with a touch of elegance which helps your customer’s build their brand of quality and trustworthiness.

Matte lamination is used to create a textured graphic which is of better quality than a glossy finish. Also the stark contrast of the matte finish with the lamination produces a bold shiny look.

The versatile nature of matte lamination makes it perfect for bright, bold graphic images. It can also be used to protect more informal flyers and signs in stores, homes and businesses.

Laminated postcards stand out from the crowd and last longer without getting torn or creased. Matte lamination is also used for frequent buyer cards, debit cards and store membership cards where durability is a must.

In most of these cases the advantages of using 16 point card stock is that it is less likely to be thrown away before reading it because its heavier, which translates into being important enough to read right away.

The benefits of using point of purchase displays, bounce backs, BRCs, cards, coupons and take-ones is that your client already has a captive audience in the store or in the mail. It’s an opportunity to keep them engaged with your product or service and to introduce new products and services.

These marketing elements can be used for product card flyers, sales announcements, testimonials, coupons, calendar cards, menus and thank you notes.

As a print broker or printing salesperson, it’s easy to sell this type of stock to your clients. Simply have your creative department design these different elements using 16 point card stock. You can even develop your own name capturing device for prospects or put this information on the back of your own business card.

Use these creative elements to partner with complimentary services that support print media. Suggest to your clients that they can use this type of marketing with 16 pt. card stock to partner with their complimentary businesses.

With the help of your wholesale printer and by partnering with a graphic designer and mailing house you can offer a one-stop shop for selling more 16 point stock in the form of creative marketing collateral materials.