Complete Story
06/03/2020
How Do We Position Ourselves For Success As Things Reopen?
Source: Marketing Ideas for Printers, May 29, 2020
On your marks, get set… re-open!
If that phrase hits you with a weird mix of excitement, hope, and a whole lot of “yeah-but-what-about,” congratulations! You are entirely normal.
Normal is a word most of the world is longing for right now, and with good reason. But, as business owners, why should we settle for normal? Why not challenge yourself to aim for better than normal?
If you think about it, it’s like the whole world is starting their freshman year of high school. We’re all newbies trying to wade through something we haven’t gone through before. But on the plus side, all of us get a fresh start. We have the opportunity to throw out what wasn’t working and craft a new (and better) way of doing things.
Winston Churchill famously said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” Those are some poignant, relevant words for the days we’re currently living in. Don’t let this unique opportunity in the world’s history pass you by without squeezing every last drop of lemonade out of those lemons.
As you embark on your path of re-opening your print business and finding your new (better) normal, keep these tips in mind.
Tip 1: Think Long Term
Desperation doesn’t sell.
Offering your print buyers crazy incentives, such as paying them a “stimulus” to buy printing from you, doesn’t come across as helpful or empathetic; it comes across as desperate.
So, think bigger. In this sea of unknowns, look to the horizon rather than that single, scary-looking wave ahead of you. This crisis is simply one piece of your (and the world’s) puzzle. It’s one scene in a movie; one thread in a tapestry. In other words, it’s impossible to see the whole masterpiece from a single snapshot, so carry that perspective with you in the days ahead when you’re sailing through those choppy waters.
