Know When to Hold 'Em... and When to Fold 'Em

While business generally isn't the place for gambling, you could benefit from some of the tools and lessons learned playing cards (or other games). Here are a few strategies that can help your business grow:

• Create allies. Every business leader needs a strong business associate or partner they can talk to, bounce ideas off of, and count on to keep them focused on the task at hand.


• Think strategically, and keep an eye out for game-changing possibilities that may await you.


• Hone your interpersonal skills, which you'll need for negotiations, business meetings, and day-to-day communications.


• Control your emotions. The cards we are dealt aren't always fair, but you need self control to deal with unfair or frustrating situations.


• Rank your status in comparison to your competition. If your competitor is sweeping the game and overflowing in confidence, you may start to doubt your own abilities, as will others.


• Learn how to take risks. Just as one decision could ultimately make or break the game, decisions you make could affect the fate of your business or the rest of your life.


• Face the odds. Sometimes the cards are stacked against you, and the chances of coming out ahead are slim. If you're up against a challenging hand, either put forth a good fight until the end or learn to walk away.


• Experience is still the best teacher. While books, DVDs, and classes can help you learn faster, the experience of making good and bad decisions can't be found in a book or movie.


• Double down on what works. If you've found a business or marketing strategy that works, keep using it strategically to reap even greater rewards.


• Start over. Whether you win or lose, no game lasts forever. Don't be afraid to start fresh and put your lessons to good use on the next game.

Increase Pricing With Ease

While rising prices are inevitable in the business world, that doesn't mean price increase announcements have to be viewed negatively. Here are a few tips to help you break the ice as painlessly as possible for your customers.

• Announce the price increase with plenty of notice (at least 30 days) before raising your pricing. Don't wait until you're mailing an invoice to let customers know your pricing has changed.


• Build rapport by sending formal, personalized messages to loyal customers via mail, rather than simply sending mass emails or posting a generic sign at your business notifying customers of a price increase. A one-page business letter, postcard, or self-mailer should suffice.


• Depending on your type of business, consider giving customers the opportunity to order more products at the lower price before the price increase takes effect.


• Explain the price increase. For example, you might write, "Our XYZ expenses have increased an average of ZYX percent in the past year, and we can no longer absorb this cost increase by ourselves."


• Consider adding a higher-priced option (even if it isn't a popular seller) in order to keep your best-selling option in the middle price range (rather than the most-expensive choice).


• Bundle your product with extras or premiums that will add perceived value and offset the price increase.


• Offer empathy but remain firm when announcing a price increase. While apologizing may seem courteous, it will also appear is if you don't believe in the price increase.


• Use your price increase announcement to remind customers why they purchase from you. Highlight product features and benefits, and announce any exciting new product updates or new and improved products at the same time.


• Itemize individual products that are typically sold in a bundle to increase perceived value.


• Consider using psychological pricing to raise prices gradually, such as from $9 to $9.99 instead of jumping to $10.


• Consider breaking out fees formerly included in the price. For example, list shipping separately instead of including it in the total price.

If you'd like help developing a creative postcard or mailer to announce price changes, our creative team is here to help. Give us a call today!

After Sale Marketing

Following up after a sale provides an opportunity to offer a heart-felt thank you and ensure customer satisfaction. It also lets you discuss additional services and improve a customer's probable return to your business. Here are a few follow-up tips for after-sale marketing:

• Show your gratitude with a free offer that complements the original purchase. For example, a hair stylist could show thanks by offering a voucher for a free hair styling product. Include specifics, such as a $15 maximum value redeemable within 60 days of postmark.


• Boost sales by providing a coupon for free shipping or 25% off their next order. Encourage customers to pass it on if they don't need to use the offer themselves.


• Suggest complementary products or services that will enhance the initial purchase and increase the customer's satisfaction and loyalty. Consider creating an affiliate program with non-competing businesses to expand your offerings.


• Reward customers for providing referrals. Offer an exclusive discount to both your existing customer and a new referral to increase the number of referrals you receive.


• Highlight your contact information on an item your customers will keep, such as a business card, calendar, customized notepad, magnet, or pen.


• Become a resource to your customers by encouraging customers to sign up for an informational newsletter with industry tips and tricks. You might also consider providing valuable tutorials and training classes.


• Consider using the 10-10-10 follow-up pattern (or even a less-aggressive 30-30-30). Send an initial thank you within 10 days after the purchase. Contact them again after 10 days, then a third time after another 10 days. Vary your method of communication, such as a hand-written note, email, and phone call. Include an offer in all communications, and build on the urgency in each contact.


• Ask for feedback about the customer's recent purchase or send a survey with an incentive to respond. Many customers will be eager to discuss their experience or may even have questions.

If you need creative print ideas to stay in touch your customers, give us a call today. Our creative team is full of ideas to ensure your customers come back for more, and bring new customers with them!

Are you a salesperson or a consultant?

It really doesn't matter what your title is or even what industry you serve. At one level, everybody's in the position of selling something to somebody.

But here's the dilemma: If you ask, most people will readily admit they don't like being sold. Many businesses have "No Soliciting" signs on their doors. Many will slam the phone down the moment they realize you're trying to sell them. Even if you're selling in person, the moment the topic turns to sales, the excuses of why they can't buy what you're selling begin to fly.

So how do you get around this dilemma?

Stop thinking about just selling and instead think about what kind of value you can provide. Think of yourself as a consultant. A salesperson sells products and services. A good consultant first figures out what their prospects really need to make their lives better and then creates a solution to make that pain go away.

To offer real and unique value, you must first gather and collect data about your prospect. Yes, this takes work, but it is precisely this kind of work that results in bringing real value and building a long-term, mutually profitable business relationship.

Transforming yourself from a salesperson to a consultant begins with a change in your mindset. All of the prospects and customers you could ever want are right under your nose waiting for your solutions. But remember: they don't want to be sold. They want you to show them your expertise first. They want you to prove you have their best interest at heart. Most importantly, they want to know that your solution will make their pain go away.

That's what a good consultant does.

The Power of Lists

Lists are more than just an effective way to grab attention. They're also great at getting key points across quickly and increasing readership. Here are a few tips to help you use lists more effectively in your marketing:

• Use abbreviated or partial lists on marketing pieces, such as postcards and email campaigns, and encourage readers to visit your website to learn more.


• Promote your company's competitive advantages with a "top 10 reasons" list.


• Popularity sells. Use a list to advertise your biggest selling products, such as "Our Top 5 Most Popular Products from 2012."


• Use a list to announce or introduce new products or services.


• Use a list as an alternative to long paragraphs of text, and enable readers to quickly scan your key points.


• For greater effectiveness, keep your lists brief, such as "10 Ways to..." or "15 Tips to..."


• Structure your list logically (largest to smallest, most to least popular, or simply your strongest tips first).


• If your list includes more than just a few words for each key point, consider using bold sub-headers with brief descriptions behind them.


• For "top 10" style lists, always number your entries, so readers can easily follow along.


• Be sure to include a source whenever appropriate, especially if your list contains hard facts or data.

Dream Killer

Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.

Fear and self-doubt are two of the biggest dream killers in most of us. Success often comes down to what we're willing to do about it.

Will you take some risks and do something different than what you've always done?

Many of us are so afraid of failing that sadly we'll never take the leap of faith required to do anything worthwhile in this life.

Whether the dream is about starting a business, getting an advancement at work, or simply finishing a major project, something seems to hold us back.

It's tempting to use the excuse that something external has forced us to procrastinate, but most of the time that something is really inner self-sabotage.

That inner voice does its best to derail and destroy our dreams. So we fail before we even start. And that pattern repeats itself, over and over again, like a bad nightmare.

To stop and crush that sequence we have to do one thing: take action without regard to possible failure in the ultimate outcome.

Yes, we should be prudent in researching, reflecting, and consulting beforehand. But if all signs point to moving forward, we shouldn't hesitate. Instead, we need to put one foot in front of the other and take action.

Success comes from taking imperfect action. Why? Because the day everything's perfect enough will never come.

So take imperfect action starting today. Your dreams will thank you.

Please Give It Some Air

Humans can't live long without breathing.

A plant will wither and die without sun, water, and air.

A car can't get very far without fuel.

So what makes us think that a business can keep going without doing effective marketing?

It can't.

Leads are the life-blood of any business, regardless of size or industry. Leads turn into profitable customers and revenue.

Having a business without a marketing strategy and marketing plan is like having a garden that's left to its own devices. Without constant pruning, watering, and the sun, the beautiful garden will be choked with weeds and soon turn into an eyesore.

Your business needs a continual flow of quality traffic. This traffic won't come to you on its own. People won't seek out your products and services unless you give them a reason to.

A marketing plan can be very simple.

• Figure out who your best customers are.


• Come up with messages to attract more prospects who are just like your best customers.


• Use various media (like direct mail) to let that market segment know what you're all about.


• Create a marketing calendar to help you remember to market on a consistent basis, so your prospect pipeline never runs dry again.

Your business is a living, breathing entity. Prospects, leads, and traffic are like the air it needs to breathe.

Marketing your business with a strategic plan is the best way to ensure your business will never run out of the air it needs to survive and grow. Call PaperGraphics today and let us help you market your business. 254-773-7391 or www.papergraphicsltd.com