Local Marketing, Channel Marketing VS Web to Print. What should Printers Pitch?

Last month I published an article that talked about the term “Web2Print” being dated. Today I want to take it a step further and discuss how printers should approach their clients when pitching “Web2Print” or also known as “Marketing Asset Management” services.

Listen to your clients’ pain points and pitch the right service.

If enterprise clients are looking for a better way to distribute branded assets to local teams, what service do you pitch? Hint: Do NOT pitch Web to Print. Use terms such as “Marketing Portals” “Marketing Asset Management” or “Localized Marketing” -these terms make more sense to your clients and will make your sales pitch go a lot easier.

The term “web to print” is only relevant to printers. If you are NOT a printer you probably refer to “web to print” as something else. Can’t blame printers, many on-demand marketing platforms started as Web2Print solutions. They evolved beyond print, but the term “web to print” got stuck in the pint industry.

Today local marketing solutions feature print-on-demand and web2print capabilities but do a lot more. Modern solutions allow clients to enable local field agents, franchisees and partners to access a plenitude of branded products online.

The term “web2print” narrows it down to just print. A great majority of your clients will be looking to distribute promotional merchandise, apparel, digital assets and print.  By advertising your solution as “web to print” your prospects wonder how are they going to distribute the rest.

Challenges

Getting your sales team to use other terms when pitching big clients won’t be easy. Your sales agents that have been in the industry for a while are accustomed to pushing print services first. The goal is get them to advocate technology services that create bigger business opportunities regardless if those opportunities are going to get a press turning.

Opportunities

Take advantage of terms such as “marketing asset management” and position yourself as a technology service provider not simply as a web-to-print provider. Broader opportunities come from broader offerings. This approach can open the door to your clients’ supply chain, fulfillment, inventory, and marketing opportunities -taking you beyond print production.

The Pitch

Win business by asking. What challenges do you have? Understand your client’s business and most important their pain points.

Now that you have their attention aim big. Your approach towards clients should start with conversations around their pain points to uncover unforeseen opportunities. Once you uncover these opportunities offer your clients a comprehensive and sustainable plan. At this point a holistic marketing asset management solution is a better fit than a simple web2print solution. You’ve gone from a print service provider to a technology, marketing, communications service provider tapping into more revenue opportunities. Winning more business by asking.

Unless your sales representatives are engaging your clients in meaningful strategy discussions, they won’t uncover new opportunities.

Some of your clients’ paint points “Marketing Asset Management” solutions can resolve.

• Sales teams and employees often can’t find the materials they need, or use outdated versions.
• Franchises and affiliates aren’t using consistent branding.
• Managing presentations, training materials, promotional materials takes a lot of energy.
• Updating and personalizing assets takes too much time.
• They need to manage marketing assets which may or may not ever result in print orders.
• They need to include implementation and training support.
• They need to enforce budgeting, spending limits and other business rules.
• They need to track costs and demand but nothing is connected.

Conclusion

On demand marketing, local marketing and modern web to print solutions all focus on enabling sales teams, employees, franchisees, local teams and field agents with the marketing tools they need to promote and sell the brand locally. Your clients are looking for the right partner to streamline these tasks and eliminate pain. Your sales pitch can get you from producing print only, to uncovering new revenue opportunities that also drive more print services.