Print buyers

We’ve all seen the stats that e-commerce is leaping. Many of us buy toothbrushes online these days! And why not? It’s quick, we don’t have to drive to a store, and we can do it anytime.

While that’s undeniably true of consumer purchases, is it also the case for business buying? That’s the question for any printer considering developing an e-commerce site. Broadly speaking, e-commerce may not be a fit for all markets. But when you consider that most print buyers today have been raised on digital interactions, it’s safe to say printers will benefit from some form of online functionality with a B2B portal.

A B2B portal is a secure, self-service online platform where clients can manage their transactions with you. A well-constructed e-commerce site will accommodate several clients with individual secure logins. Each customer portal will reflect the particulars of that client—products, substrates used, design templates, pricing, order tracking, delivery timelines, purchase history, inventory levels, and so on. Estimates, order intake, proofing, and shipping information will be common functions. Other functions include protocols for user permissions, ensuring only authorized users can access the portal.

Like the rest of us, print buyers have come through a challenging time. COVID has surely affected their jobs, and the profession itself has changed as print’s place in the marketing spectrum has evolved.

Today’s buyers include highly experienced professionals who understand the technicalities of print and are fascinated by equipment, and newly minted entrants who are likely to be digital natives or marketers without a great deal of printing experience. For them, buying print is not a primary function, but only one task in a broader portfolio. And let’s not forget that a lot of print buying has moved online.

If you missed our blog, "From the Other Side of the Desk," then you missed getting your FREE DOWNLOAD of our eBook.

Highly personalized and customized print communications that drive customer engagement have won awards and been featured in highly acclaimed case studies for decades.  Marketers have experienced response and conversion lift when they leverage variable data. This phenomenon has been documented many times.

Why are so few of these campaigns executed? Most direct marketing programs do not leverage the demonstrated power of data. What is it about variable data that keeps marketers from using readily available technology to their advantage?

A Print Buyer Perspective on Typical Sales Calls

How would you like to learn how your sales force is doing – directly from prospective customers? Wouldn’t you like to find out what is going through buyers minds as they sit through the presentations tendered by your sales force?

We all know the print marketplace is changing, so print sales people must adapt. How is that working out? Are your salespeople giving customers what they need to encourage them to do business with you? Are you failing to sign business you ought to get?

In a new eBook from Gimbel & Associates, printing companies get a rare look into the minds of customers. We asked print buyers to tell us how they perceived the print service representatives that called on them. We wanted to find out what salespeople are doing right and where they need to improve.