The Art Of The Soft Sell

Photo from Container Store

The Soft-Sell is back. Many businesses are using customer centered selling tactics to build loyalty,  revenues and to increase return visits.

If you've ever shopped at an Apple Store, you already have experienced this type of selling, at least from the receiving end. At Apple, customers can attend ongoing screenings about the latest iPhone or get free technical help from the Genius Bar.

At a Container Store, sales associates are screened for problem-solving ability, affability, creativity, and experiences that will help them connect with their customers, who are mostly women in their mid-30s to mid-60s. Sales staff then go through many hours of training to help them excel at the light and informative touch. Rather than working on commission, full-time salespeople start at an annual salary of roughly $45,000, about 50% to 100% more than most retailers pay.

On the surface, that may not sound groundbreaking, treat your customers well, figure out what they want, give them information about your product, and sell them something you care about.

But wrapping it all together and persuading your sales folks not to obsess over, well, sales, is something different: customer-centric or consultative sales. A customer centered sales process emphasizes a low-pressure environment that lets your sales staff act as consultants, offering information and showing how your product or service can help solve a customer's problem. The end goal of customer centered sales is not only to boost sales and trumpet your brand but also to make customers happy they picked your store, building the foundation for future sales.

Consultative sales has its roots in the early history of retail, when our grandparents went to buy something from the local five and dime, where they probably knew the name of the clerk who retrieved their items and told them how much they cost. But the art of the low-pressure sale got lost somewhere on the way to the big payoff, and in the mid-1990s, big companies realized they were jeopardizing their relationships with customers, and the possibility of repeat sales, by being overly transaction-oriented.

Today, companies both big and small are rethinking the way they sell their products.  Customers like to buy what you do in a store.  It's a mistake to think customers simply purchase a product or service. They are buying an entire process, including the customer service, the knowledge of the salespeople, and the quality of the interaction leading up to the sale.

When it comes to a soft sale for your business printing let MI Printing help you understand and meet your needs.  Just give us a call at 623.582.1302 and see what we can do for your business.

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MI Printing
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
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Made In The USA – U.S. Jack Company

U.S. Jack Company was founded in 1988. The product designs and tooling were purchased from Auto Specialties Manufacturing when they discontinued their after-market business in 1988. Auto Specialties Manufacturing (AUSCO) had been producing automotive jacks and service equipment since the early 1930's. U.S. Jack Company has continued the tradition that AUSCO started of fine quality American made products. Limited parts inventory for some of the early AUSCO products are still available but becoming scarcer with each passing year. A full line of replacement parts and seal kits are readily available for today’s line up of U.S. Jack products.

U.S. Jack works with a number of OEM accounts supplying specialized hydraulic jacks tailored to meet their needs. Their products are also sold through their network of service centers and established distributors which can be located from their web site using the map of the United States.

Approximately 85% of their business is under contract with the federal government either through their own contract with the General Services Administration (GSA) or contracts being fulfilled through a number of their customers, some of which include BAE Systems, Lockheed-Martin and Boeing Aerospace.

They take a great deal of pride in the work they do to support our troops with American made equipment. Supporting other small businesses within their community is another point of company pride.

In March of 2007 U.S. Jack was contacted by SPC John Arnold while he was in Ramadi, Iraq. He was assigned to a motor pool doing his part to maintain essential equipment when he noticed a 12-ton hydraulic bottle jack supporting the rear axle of a truck requiring service, but for 3 months this was “the” only piece of equipment supporting the rear end of the truck. His exact commentary and photos are directly linked to his name. "On June 21st of 2007 we received a follow-up communication from John noting that one week earlier the jack had been removed from under this truck and was again back in use in another area within their motor pool. Our thanks and appreciation to SPC John Arnold for his observation of real world use of our equipment."

All U.S. Jack products carry a one year warranty on material and workmanship and they have over 170 active authorized service centers across the United States. U.S. Jack is all about pride in American made products, keeping their fellow Americans working and supporting our troops with the highest quality products possible.

Do you want your business printing made in the U.S.A.?  Then please contact MI Printing and tell us your printing needs.

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MI Printing: Let Us Help With Door Hangers

Door hangers are the one of the least expensive and most effective of the print media.

The key to an effective door hanger promotion is the right design and the right call to action. Your design must reflect your company’s personality and your message has to induce the customer to take action now.

“On Door” Advertising: Because your advertising message is displayed on your prospect’s door, it is likely to be carried into your prospect’s home. The door hanger typically stands alone without competition. With a correct design, your message is very likely to be read.

Buy Now & Later: Most door hangers include a call to action such as a special promotion, limited time offer or coupon. Because they are printed on a heavier weight stock, they are perceived as less disposable than a text-weight flyer. Not only is the customer prompted to buy now, he will keep the door hanger to take advantage of your offer later. Your message will be on-hand the next time your prospect is in need of your product.

Neighborly Effect: Door hangers also act as a personal calling card. To leave a door hanger on your prospect’s door, you had to have visited them first. Door hangers demonstrate your knowledge of the prospect’s presence while making him aware of your presence in his neighborhood as well.

Additional Uses: Door hangers are not limited to promotional advertising. They can be used to spread information, build name recognition, service reminders, even to let your customer know you paid them a visit. As a direct marketing tool, door hangers also offer a unique opportunity at very personalized messages. Some of our customers have directed their messages to specific neighborhoods and apartment complexes, calling them out by name on the door hanger. The customer reached their target and created the perception that the offer was special and exclusive to their target.

We are ready to help just give us a call at 623.582.1302 for our current special pricing.

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Marketing Mayhem Via Their Smart Phones

Did you know that a Google's study showed that 43% of smart-phone users used their cell-phone to search in response to television ads at least once a month.

Even more interesting is that 40% reported searching in response to ads they saw while in stores looking at the TV while still physically present.

While searching based on magazines and out-of-home ads were less common, the report suggests that search will increase as people get more used to using their device to get information.

Taking customers for granted.

So what are you doing to communicate with your customers who are heavy users of their smart-phones. 

Does your printed media carry a QR code that gives specials to those smart-phone users?  It can you know!  You can use the QR code to send the smart-phone user direct to a web page or web video designed just for a smart-phone.  In that web page or web video can be information or offers that are related to the use of the cell-phone or products that are demographically related. 

Most people agree that the more targeted or relevant advertising is the more effective it is.  So knowing that a smart-phone user is your target the more relevant you can make your offer.  At MI printing we can help you add those QR codes to your printed message.

If you are looking for a great business printer for your business. Please give us a call at 623.582.1302 and see how we can help you solve your other business needs.  Thanks!

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Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
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Learn To Listen

We think that listening is the best customer skill you can possible develop.  It needs to be coupled with learning to take what you hear the customer say, really say and then ask the right (proper and correct) customer service based question or questions.

From that question or perhaps questions you can be on the road to really helping that customer and you solving their problem or challenge.

Here is probably a very good time to mention that not only at the customer service level is this a great idea, but also at the sales level as well.  If you listen to your customer and ask the correct questions you can avoid dealing with your customer at a later customer service level as well.

If we take one more step back it is probably a good idea to listen and ask the right questions as far back as the time the customer is first greeted when entering or contacting your business.

Learning to listen is a really basic skill when you are in business and it doesn’t matter what type of business or how that business interacts with customers.  Listen to what the customer says or asks.  Many times a customer may lack the vocabulary for your business.  Their questions and statements may tell you that.  Then again. they may not.

Today a customer may seem to know what they want because they have spent time on the Internet getting “educated.”  So what sets you apart from a web site that can only react to a customer in a very limited way?  Generally a web site is a simple “push” marketing method.

When a customer is buying a shirt from a web site we hope it will be set to ask about size and color.  But what beyond that is expected to do?  A salesperson can ask questions that are based in experience and can inquire about why the shirt is being purchased, where and how it is being worn.

A shirt being used during a tropical vacation should be very different than one worn to work or a wedding.  Today even the web sites are suggesting add-on purchases based on what other people are buying.  An educated salesperson can go well beyond suggestions based on purchases by others, but true knowledge of what the customers real needs are.

Listening is what we try to do best at MI Printing.  We want to understand and truly solve our customer’s business printing needs.  Give us a call at 623.582.1302 and find out why people are better than web sites at meeting your needs.

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Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
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Truth In Advertising - What Does 4G Mean?

I think most of us can agree that the commercials on television can be some of the most eye-catching and entertaining parts of the actual TV experience.

Most people understand the word “puffery” when it comes to advertising.  It means that you can expect the information to contain some exaggeration when the materials are presented.  But does it mean that the truth can be stretched to the point of being inaccurate or misleading?

In all advertising about cell-phones the term 4G is used without any definition of the meaning of that term.  When the standard for the 4G service was proposed it was used to give the guideline of 100 meg download speed.

In the US the current term is called 4G LTE. to mean a wireless cellular service that would be between 20 and 50 meg download speed.

T-Mobile has a commercial running that they call “See It Again”  They compare an Apple iPhone 4S running 3G speed on AT&T to T-Mobile 4G.  The announcer says “What Does 4G on T-Mobile Look Like? – Want To See It Again”  as their attractive Spokesperson speeds by.

First an iPhone 4S runs at 3G speeds as a maximum, on any network, that is a limit of the iPhone.  As this is written (07/24/2012) T-Mobile has no network running a true 4G of any kind.  T-Mobile is reported to start building their 4G LTE service during 2013.  To be fair both AT&T and T-Mobile try to refer to their current enhanced 3G, and HSPA+ networks as 4G.

If you want to see the commercial running on YouTube here is the link http://youtu.be/pczODHEO23I

We always want to be careful when we answer your questions about your business printing needs.  We feel that trust is one of our most important products.  Give us a call and see.

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Made In The U.S.A. – Fender Musical Instruments

With an illustrious history dating back to 1946, Fender has touched and transformed music worldwide and in nearly every genre: rock ‘n’ roll, country and western, jazz, rhythm and blues and many others. Everyone from beginners and hobbyists to the world’s most acclaimed artists and performers have used Fender instruments and amps, and legendary Fender instruments such as the Telecaster® and Stratocaster® guitars and Precision® and Jazz® bass guitars are universally acclaimed as design classics.

In the 1940s, southern California inventor Leo Fender realized that he could improve on the amplified hollow-body instruments of the day by using an innovative and rather simple solid-body electric guitar design. Further, he realized that he could streamline the process of building them.

In 1951 he introduced a prototype solid-body instrument that would eventually be called the Telecaster® guitar. The Tele®, as it was often called then and still is today, was the first solid-body Spanish-style electric guitar to be commercially mass-produced.

The Stratocaster first appeared in 1954, incorporating many design innovations based on feedback from professional musicians, Fender staff and Leo Fender himself. Its third single-coil pickup offered more tonal possibilities, its sleekly contoured body made it more comfortable, and its double cutaway design made access to upper registers much easier.

Because of poor health, Leo Fender sold the company to CBS in 1965. Fender Musical Instruments experienced tremendous growth over the next 20 years, but a lack of commitment and real understanding of music and musicians by CBS gradually became apparent.

The new Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) had to start from scratch—there were no buildings or machinery included in the sale. Supported by a core group of loyal employees, dealers and suppliers (some of whom had been with the company since Leo Fender founded it), Schultz and his colleagues set out to rebuild an American icon.

The new Fender initially imported its guitars from offshore manufacturers with proven ability to produce affordable and viable instruments, but the move toward greater quality control soon led to the establishment in 1985 of Fender’s flagship U.S. factory in Corona, Calif. A second modern manufacturing facility opened in 1987 in Ensenada, Mexico.

Also in 1987, the renowned Fender Custom Shop opened at the Corona facility, creating dream instruments for professional guitarists and guitar enthusiasts. Fender had always recognized the importance of an open-door policy for professional musicians, accommodating their requests for specific features on an individual basis. The Fender Custom Shop has since become known worldwide and industry-wide as the pinnacle of craftsmanship and sheer instrumental artistry.

FMIC moved its corporate headquarters from Corona to Scottsdale, Ariz., in 1991. From there, Fender coordinates its administration, marketing, advertising, sales and export operations in the United States and its international satellite facilities in England, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.

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MI Printing: Flyers For All Your Advertising Needs

Quality flyers are among the most used advertising media that can help draw more prospective customers to your business.  It our job to make sure you are satisfied with those advertising materials.  We are proud to produce printed materials that you are proud to distribute.

We can help bring your companies' image into your companies' printed materials used in communication and advertising.

Call Paula at  623.582.1302  to discuss how we can show you our Customer Satisfaction model for your printing needs.

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Phone: 623.582.1302
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Boy Scout Oath & Marketing

I'll bet that sometime in your life you've read or heard the Boy Scout Oath:

On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.

I think it's a good model for a business owner or marketer, too. Next time you greet a customer  consider what you read and how you can use it to build your business in relation to the Boy Scout Oath. I bet you'll have one or two Ah-HA! moments.

Does this strike you as an over simplification?  Perhaps.  But, it does get back to the best way to treat a customer, is the way you want to be treated.  The Boy Scout Oath just may help crystallize your thinking and actions.

The one line “To help other people at all times;” is also one that can help you in your dealings with customers.  Do you have an add-on sales strategy?  That is always an OK idea if it is tied to the thinking that the “add on sale” is for the benefit of the customer first and the store sale second.

Did you know that the Boy Scouts have a Salesmanship Merit Badge? Partial requirement list below.

Requirements for the Salesmanship merit badge:

Explain the responsibilities of a salesperson and how a salesperson serves customers and helps stimulate the economy.

Explain why it is important for a salesperson to do the following:

Research the market to be sure the product or service meets the needs of the customers.
Learn all about the product or service to be sold.

If possible, visit the location where the product is built and learn how it is constructed. If a service is being sold, learn about the benefits of the service to the customer.

Follow up with customers after their purchase to confirm their satisfaction and discuss their concerns about the product or service.

While you may not be able to hire Boy Scouts for your staff you can work with MI Printing to work on your business printing needs.  Give us a call at 623.582.1302 and let’s talk.

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MI Printing
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

Marketing Mayhem The Allstate Way

Who comes to mind when you think of Mayhem?

After Allstate’s hugely successful ad campaign, there’s a good chance you picture this guy. In just a few short years the campaign has become an enormous hit. The Facebook Mayhem page has over a million likes and the campaign has been parodied on YouTube and of course endlessly discussed at the water cooler.

That is what is described as marketing BUZZ.  When you run an ad or a promotional campaign that results is the very thing you want.  People talking about and spreading your message well beyond the run of the ads.

An ad or promotion that is so entertaining or interesting that it becomes a subject of conversations at the water cooler, parties or social events, is the holy grail of marketing. 

Allstate’s advertising campaigns have won numerous industry awards, including from Cannes, 16 Effie awards including the Gold in 2011 in the ‘Sustained Success’ category and numerous ADDY awards.

More important than the awards and accolades is the ads are making the phones ring at Allstate offices all over the country.  Traffic to their web site is up by double digits.

Lisa Cochrane is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Allstate and is the creative genius behind this wildly successful ad campaign.

She was named Ad Woman of the Year by the Chicago Advertising Federation in 2008, and was recognized by Working Mother Magazine and Advertising Women of New York as a 2010 Working Mother of the Year. She is on the Board of Directors of the Ad Council and the Association of National Advertisers, where she directs the Agency/Client Relations Committee. She is also a trustee of the Marketing Science Institute, and a board member of the Camp Nicolet Foundation.

While you may not be able to hire Lisa for your next set of ads and promotions you can work with MI Printing to work on your business printing needs.  Give us a call at 623.582.1302 and let’s talk.

MI Printing
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

Rise Above The Noise

Think of your business as being that of a new song writer.  Both your business and the song writer want to get noticed and stand out among the crowd out there trying to reach a market that is deluged with millions and millions of offers.

Is making the loudest noise the way to do it?  No, probably not, you just end up annoying people.  Is shouting or whispering the best way to get the attention of the people you are trying to reach?  Have you ever heard something or thought you heard something that was just above a whisper but not fully understood.  Do you stop and try to figure out what it was?

Sometimes the soft approach is what will set you apart from all those that are do the shouting.  If you think this is leading to the soft-sell approach you are beginning to understand.

Ever try to push a rope?  It is much easier to pull or lead rather than force the issue.  Marketing can work several ways.  Your advertising (any type) should always complement the item and the company image.  Being loud and pushy may work with car sales, but will it work in your business or industry?

Can you imagine a pushy doctor’s ad?  It could even be very accurate, but would it work well?

Rise above the noise with a whisper and not a shout.  Does that work?  Getting good press is surely one way to do this.  Is press effective?  Of Course.  I once read that if you want to get noticed you could always set your business on fire.  Yes, that would get you noticed.  But doing business the next day would be rather difficult. 

How about making up some simple flyers and going door-to-door and speaking with your neighboring businesses with a sincere invitation for them to come and see what you might have to offer them.  Do a couple a day, just before you open.  This isn’t walk in a drop it off.  Take a moment and find the owner or manager and introduce yourself.  This next step is a very soft sell.  Use open questions and see if you have something they truly need.  Offer to come back and talk with them at length when they can set aside the time.

Yes, personal contacts like this are very time consuming.  But, they are the most effective and direct approach you can make.  Don’t think of this being used only by new businesses.  Do it every few months by going in different directions or a little farther each time.

If you only sell to individual consumers, tomorrow will be the blog to read.

Need some help making up those flyers, check to see if MI Printing can help you with your printing needs?  Give us a call at 623.582.1302 and let’s find out!

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MI Printing
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

Made In The U.S.A. – New Balance

New Balance is the only athletic shoe manufacturer still making shoes in the US. Twenty-five percent of New Balance shoes sold domestically are produced by their US workforce, using US and imported materials.  New Balance is an athletic shoe supplier to the US Military.

As the only athletic footwear manufacturer currently making shoes in the U.S., they know towns like Skowhegan, ME are the backbone of our company. Take a closer look at the people who live there and find out why they take as much pride in their community as they do in their craft.

They have factories in the following US cities.

Boston, MA
They made their first pair of running shoes in Boston in 1938. Today, at the 50,000 square foot factory on Newton Street, their associates use a state-of-the-art manufacturing process to produce the 811 walking shoe. They also produce service-industry footwear, harkening back to the company's original reason for being -- to help working people stay comfortable on their feet.

Lawrence, MA Housed in the historic Ayer Mill building, the factory is a look back at American manufacturing from the outside and a bold look at its future on the inside. As their associates use high-tech equipment and the latest production techniques to cut, stitch and assemble running and walking shoes from raw materials and ship them out to the world.

Norridgewock, ME
New Balance came to the historic shoemaking town of Norridgewock in 1982. Built in 1945, the Depot Street building is the workplace of almost 400 associates. Each pair of shoes they produce is a proud work of craftsmanship that carries a little bit of the long history that is the town and its people.

Norway, ME
Built in 1972, the building in Norway doesn't have as long a history as some of their other buildings, but its heritage as a shoemaking factory and of Norway as a shoemaking town go deep into the foundations. The one-time Melville Shoe building was purchased by New Balance in 1997 and today their 200 associates proudly produce many of the company's walking and running shoes.

Skowhegan, ME
In 1982, New Balance acquired a large facility formerly owned and operated by Norwalk Shoe Company in Skowhegan, the home of a highly skilled workforce of experienced shoemakers. From the iconic 990 series to the 1300 and the collectible offerings of our legendary Super Team 33, today many of their most recognizable, iconic shoes come out of Skowhegan.

If what you buy and where it is made is important to you, check to see if MI Printing can help you with your printing needs?  Give us a call at 623.582.1302 and let’s find out!

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MI Printing
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

MI Printing: Indoor Magnets

Make your advertising message STICK!

Indoor Magnets... Several Sizes and Styles available  4/0 (Full Color One Side), 17pt UV coated stock.   From customer supplied art. Art should be 300dpi PDF file.

At MI Printing we can take care of all of your specialty printing needs.  Learn about the many options we offer for your business printing needs.  Questions... Please give us a call at 623-582-1302.

Please ask about money saving larger quantity print runs.  For best results a high quality PDF file is required for the customer supplied artwork.

Thank You
Matt & Paula

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MI Printing
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com

Billboards With Four Wheels

Do you have a service business that relies on phone calls to start the sales process?  Do you have a service business that has vehicles traveling the roadways?  What message does your business vehicle deliver to potential customers?

Your rolling stock is a great place to place a customer advertising message.  How much message can you place on the front, side or back of your vehicle?  That is covered by how large the vehicle is.  You can put a bigger message on a bigger vehicle.  Than doesn’t mean you can put more words or messages on a large vehicle.  You want the “font size” to be larger, so that it is easier to read.

How effective are these rolling billboards?  Consider that they are seen by thousands of people everyday.  All advertising ROI is based on the cost of 1,000 impressions or the number of eyes (people) that view any advertisement.

It could be said the your rolling billboard has a zero dollar cost per thousand.  The vehicle is going about the same business at the same cost whether or not it has painted (message based ads) sides.  There is a very minor cost (over the life of a vehicle) to have message signs on that service vehicle.

The other day I spoke with a friend that had an AC unit replaced.  I discovered that she had used a local contractor called George Brazil.  When I asked her what prompted her use of that vendor over any other one, her reply was, “I see his trucks everywhere.”

Your business phone or website should be part of your sales message no matter where it is.  A short message about what you do (your service) is what is the actual “advertisement.”

If you think that everyone is doing this properly means you aren’t looking at all the vehicles out there.  Vehicles with “TMI” (too much info) is the most common mistake.  Text that is too small to read is the second biggest mistake.  People seeing your vehicle has only a very few seconds to read and absorb your sales message.  Your sales message is your businesses’ life blood.

If you need help getting your sales messages out using printed material please give MI Printing a call at 623.582.1302 and see how we can help your business communications.

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MI Printing
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

Marketing Mayhem

Are you guilty of Marketing Mayhem?

Here is a book you may be interested in Marketing Mayhem.  It is a bit pricey at $46.97 with shipping.

Of course, you can also try amazon.com and save on the shipping.

What is Marketing Mayhem? In the simplest terms, it is the mindless marketing that has been draining profits, wasting productive energy, and creating strategic and tactical confusion in just about every type of business.

Why is this happening? Here are a few specifics:

Mindless use of technology

Imaginative sterility

Misleading and confusing use of language

Taking customers for granted

Want some examples of what Marketing Mayhem has done?

We have more technology, analytical tools, And process than ever before. BUT: Sales and profits are down. Why?

We supposedly know more than ever before about what buyers want. BUT: Customers are more skeptical and more alienated from us and more resistant to sales offers than ever before.

We can choose from a ton of CRM software and hours of CRM seminars.

But: The typical customer responds with the loyalty of a gnat. You can find more specifics on the pages of Marketing Mayhem. Even more important, you'll find answers to the problems that Marketing Mayhem creates–and you'll be entertained all along the way by the world's most productive copywriter and Direct Magazine's most popular feature columnist.

Here is the hyper link to the website. http://www.nmoa.org/catalog/marketingmayhem.htm

If you are looking for a great business printer for your business. Please give us a call at 623.582.1302 and see how we can help you solve your other business needs.  Thanks!

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MI Printing
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

Greetings Make The Day

If you run a Brick & Mortar business that deals directly with customers, everyone of those customers should be greeted and welcomed into your business establishment.  I know that must sound very basic.  But, keep in mind, that the customer greeting is the start of each sale or possible sale.

On a recent trip to purchase an automotive item I was greeted by a counter person by a simple uninspired, “Yes?”  It was accompanied with a rather blank expression.  Yes, I did follow-up with a brief description of what I needed.  I made that one purchase and left the store without a “Thank You” or an invitation to come back.  Perhaps the most damage was done when the item was sold without any questions or sales suggestion for other products that might be needed or would help with the product purchased.

So in your business what is the policy for the customer greeting, sales suggestions, thank yous and invitation to shop again?

Do you think it is important to welcome a customer each time they enter your business?  Do you and your staff try to make the “greeting” or “welcome” an opportunity to brighten the customer’s day?

A bright smile, and a sincere greeting is a great way to start the customer “welcome”.  You can add a welcome back or “great to see you again” if that would be appropriate.  Follow that with a “How can we help today?”

Once the questions lead to a purchase you can try to add to the sale with meaningful and accurate suggestion that are of benefit to the customer and truly complement the original purchase.

Is the sale of the nature that the customer may need help carrying or loading the item(s)? Make sure that offer of help to their vehicle is made.

When the sale is completed make sure that the customer is both thanked and invited back for their future needs.

Even if your business is one of sales that has little customer contact you still need to apply these ideas to each sale or customer service call.

Are you sure this is being done to your satisfaction at your business?  It is your bottom line that is affected by getting lax in these areas.

If you need help with your business printing needs make sure MI Printing is the printer to consider for your next printing job.  We can start with a quick phone call to 623.582.1302.  Can I say “Thanks In Advance!

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MI Printing
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

Made In The USA – Barrel O’ Fun

As our readers know we try to feature information that will help small businesses compete for more customers and improve their bottom line.  Over the next few weeks we are going to feature some business that are manufacturing products in the USA and adding jobs to the economy.

We are going to highlight the local area and businesses all over the United States as well.  Support you local businesses and can we say that applies to the whole of the country.

Your purchases and support make all businesses healthier and that will grow our economy in the best possible way.

Barrel O’ Fun Snack Foods comes to Phoenix Metro West Valley

Parties … picnics … tailgating … Super Bowl night. Everybody knows it’s all about the snacks. Barrel O’ Fun has what you need every time, no matter what the occasion. Taste you can trust and quality you can count on.

Barrel O' Fun began in the spring of 1973 by the father and son team of Tuffy and Ken Nelson at Perham, Minnesota. The company began with approximately 10 employees and produced potato chips, extruded cheese curls, and popcorn. Products were primarily marketed in Minnesota, North and South Dakota. Distribution was by company-owned routes direct to stores as well as to candy and tobacco jobbers within the marketing area.

"KLN Enterprises, Inc." was formed to hold stock and manage both Barrel O' Fun Snack Foods Company and Kenny's Candy Company in 1995.  Barrel O' Fun celebrated 32 years in the snack food business the summer of 2005.

Barrel O’ Fun Snack Foods Co. rolled into Phoenix and brought new jobs with it.  The snack-food maker purchased 12.5 acres near 75th Avenue and Sherman Street, on the Phoenix Metro West Valley area, and broke ground on a 140,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution center in 2008.

You can find Barrel O' Fun Snack Food products in Bashas’ and some local WalMarts.

Presented By
MI Printing
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

MI Printing: Door Hanger Special

This Week our special is Door Hangers!  They are an effective advertising method and a quick way to reach a very targeted group of buyers or just a specific geographic area.

Door Hangers give you great control over reaching a local buying area.

Rather than mail to what may be an outdated list of addresses with in a target zip-code, the door hanger can be placed based on what is or is not in the driveway.  Your crew can also skip a home that looks like the owner may be away or the property is currently empty.

Keep in mind that “On Door” Advertising is very effective because your advertising message is displayed on your prospect’s door, it is likely to be carried into your prospect’s home. The door hanger typically stands alone without competition. With a correct design, your special message is highly likely to be read.

Call Paula or Matt at 623.582.1302 or go to our website www.miprinting.com for a free quote.

Presented By
MI Printing
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

Thinking Outside The Box Again

Looking for new ideas to promote your company , products or the services your have?  Here are some ideas that will help your marketing efforts.

Hold a wacky contest. The beauty of contests is threefold. You can announce the contest to your prospects, customers and the media. You can then announce the winners to the media and hopefully get press each time. Have multiple winners to delight multiple customers. Contests can be fun, wacky and imaginative: a messy desk contest, ugly tie contest, pet/owner look-alike contest, etc.

Create and celebrate a funky holiday. Today is "Purple Hair Day," or "Wear Your PJs Day," or "Give a Cupcake to a Friend Day." These are made up and from a brainstorm session. How your holiday cross promotes your business, service or products is only limited by your imagination. Don't forget to publicize it, announce it, market it over and over, and have fun with it. You'll get noticed and people will grow to expect it if you do it on a frequent basis.

You may not even have to invent your own holidays as there web sites that list them for you;
http://www.gone-ta-pott.com/weird_holidays.html 
http://www.brownielocks.com/month2.html

Tie your business or service to a local news or current event covered by the media. Find a news story and issue a press release to publications, radio stations and television stations, offering yourself as an expert to comment on a related subject. It's one of the best ways to get free PR. Remember to use your imagination here. Just watch the news and do a reverse analysis. Make a list of companies that would be appropriate to comment on each story you watch. Sooner or later you'll find one where your company fits.

Provide special attention to trade-show attendees the night before a trade show holding a convention in your area. Stand out from the crowd at trade shows by hanging door hangers on hotel room doors at designated trade-show hotels, offering a hook and an announcement or a special offer. Leave bags of candies, aspirin, insole pads for shoes or maybe a cloth carry bag to collect trade show information in. Your competition isn't doing this. You'll stand out, you'll be noticed, and you'll definitely be thanked if you put yourself in front of your prospect again.

Pass out notepads with coupon offers intermingled in the pages. Even use the back cover stock to print an offer. Use your “outside the box thinking” for the marketing ideas.

Let MI Printing help you get the word out with door hangers or note pads.  Give us a call and we can talk about your business needs … 623.582.1302

Presented By
MI Printing
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

Independence Day – Fun Facts, History & Trivia about the 4th of July

Here are some Independence Day fun facts, history and trivia.  On July the 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress. Thereafter, the 13 colonies embarked on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. This most American of holidays is traditionally celebrated with parades, fireworks and backyard barbecues across the country. As you send out your July 4th party invitations, take a minute to think about how much you really know about what we are celebrating.

The major objection to being ruled by Britain was taxation without representation. The colonists had no say in the decisions of English Parliament.

 In May, 1776, after nearly a year of trying to resolve their differences with England, the colonies sent delegates to the Second Continental Congress. Finally, in June, admitting that their efforts were hopeless; a committee was formed to compose the formal Declaration of Independence. Headed by Thomas Jefferson, the committee also included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Philip Livingston and Roger Sherman. On June 28, 1776, Thomas Jefferson presented the first draft of the declaration to Congress.

Betsy Ross, according to legend, sewed the first American flag in May or June 1776, as commissioned by the Congressional Committee.

Independence Day was first celebrated in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776.

The Liberty Bell sounded from the tower of Independence Hall on July 8, 1776, summoning citizens to gather for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence by Colonel John Nixon.

June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress, looking to promote national pride and unity, adopted the national flag. “Resolved: that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

The first public Fourth of July event at the White House occurred in 1804.

Before cars ruled the roadway, the Fourth of July was traditionally the most miserable day of the year for horses, tormented by all the noise and by the boys and girls who threw firecrackers at them.

The first Independence Day celebration west of the Mississippi occurred at Independence Creek and was celebrated by Lewis and Clark in 1805.

On June 24, 1826, Thomas Jefferson sent a letter to Roger C. Weightman, declining an invitation to come to Washington, D.C., to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It was the last letter that Jefferson, who was gravely ill, ever wrote.

Both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on Independence Day, July 4, 1826.

The 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence did not sign at the same time, nor did they sign on July 4, 1776. The official event occurred on August 2, 1776, when 50 men signed it.

The names of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were withheld from the public for more than six months to protect the signers. If independence had not been achieved, the treasonable act of the signers would have, by law, resulted in their deaths.

Thomas McKean was the last to sign in January, 1777.

The origin of Uncle Sam probably began in 1812, when Samuel Wilson was a meat packer who provided meat to the US Army. The meat shipments were stamped with the initials, U.S. Someone joked that the initials stood for “Uncle Sam”. This joke eventually led to the idea of Uncle Sam symbolizing the United States government.

In 1941, Congress declared 4th of July a federal legal holiday. It is one of the few federal holidays that have not been moved to the nearest Friday or Monday.

Thirty places nationwide with “liberty” in their name. Liberty, Missouri (26,232) boasts the highest population of the 30 at 26,232. Iowa has more of these places than any other state at four: Libertyville, New Liberty, North Liberty and West Liberty.

Eleven places have “independence” in their name. The most populous of these is Independence, Missouri, with 113,288 residents.

Five places adopted the name “freedom.” Freedom, California, with 6,000 residents, has the largest population among these.

There is one place named “patriot” — Patriot, Indiana, with a population of 202.

And what could be more fitting than spending the day in a place called “America”? There are five such places in the country, with the most populous being American Fork, Utah, with 21,941 residents.

Happy Fourth Of July

From the Folks at:
Presented By
MI Printing
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com

How To Build Your eMail List Everyday

A great (read very effective) way to market products and services is to send emails to “interested” people.  This allows you to tell potential customers about new items as they arrive or a new service that you are starting.

So how do you find these people that would be interested in your services or product.  You ask them to join your mailing list.  Yes, it is that simple.

How do you do that?  The first place you want to start is on your web site.  You need to place an email sign-up method on your web site.  It must stand out and be easy to find so place the sign-up box on very page of your web site.  If you are using a service like Constant Contact the process is fully automated and complies with all government regulations.

You can also do a sign-up sheet at the your business and invite EVERY customer to join your mailing list.  If they don’t have the time to sign-up at your business hand them a business card with your web address on it.

Place an invitation to join your email list in your blogs and social media sites and communications.  Any article you write for yourself or others needs to carry the invitation to make sure the reader stays informed of your information and special offers also includes a way to find and join your email list.

You can offer rewards or specials when someone joins your email list.  Set up an information download or coupon on the thank you page that is displayed after the person joins your email list.

Remember it is not the number of people you send to, it is how interested they are.  To be effective the email must be opened.  For it to be opened the reader be motivated to do so.  They must recognize you or your business as someone that they trust.  The simple answer here is never send to an email address / person who hasn’t invited you to send to them.

Let MI Printing help you with follow-up printed materials.  Give us a call and we can talk about your business needs … 623.582.1302

Presented By
MI Printing
Phone: 623.582.1302
Email: sales@printinginaz.com
http://printinginaz.com