What? A “C” is the new "A+ ?" You bet your life it is. Not in school but in the world of selling marketing communications I’ll take a "C" any day. I’m referring to the C-Level, where the marketing decisions are made.
For years, printers have provided the vital service of putting ink on paper and it was the only way to get a message, in a creative and professional way, to a customer or prospect. It’s been a great run! After all, it all started in 1436 when Joahannes Gutenberg began work on the movable type press, which he completed in 1440. Lets see 2010 –1440 = 570 years of ink on paper bliss. GUESS WHAT, “it’s far from over!”
Our industry is just going through one of the many changes it has seen over the years and probably one of the biggest challenges ever. The consolidation of the workforce across all vertical markets has complicated things even further. Just try to cold-call your way into a new client and let me know how that works for you. Endless voicemails, emails, sample drop offs, all things that in the past two decades made print salespeople very good livings are history. For some, existing “relationships” are still going strong but I ask the question for how long?
What has changed? In my opinion the biggest thing is that the role of top-level print providers has changed to “Marketing Service Providers”(MSP). When successful you create an environment that no longer is based on price per page. This is only possible when the relationship is “At the C-Level”. Problem solved? Nope, big problem created. Getting to the C-Level is tricky. Agencies have an advantage here because they earned it with their expertise at "branding". The “New” MSP’s need to position themselves as close to the “brand” as possible. This starts with practicing what you preach. Does your organization even have a “brand”. How can you possibly align yourself with C-Level marketers and speak to their “brand” if you don’t effectively speak to yours. Are you utilizing in your own marketing efforts the technologies you are trying to sell? QR codes, PURLs, Social Media, Augmented Reality, VDP, POD, W2P, database management, e-mail, high end ink-on-paper, and any other new wiz-bang technology that truly becomes part of the message? If not, your credibility at the C-Level is non-existent. The C-Level is a fast paced and busy place. There is zero time for questions. You must have the solution!
In short, to be successful in this new and evolving world of MSP’s, you need to build a brand and practice what you preach. This is NOT sales, this is marketing! This is creating awareness that you are not just ink on paper, effectively evaporating the blue-collar image that has plagued the industry for years. At the C-Level you will LISTEN to the issues and then help to solve those issues. Sometimes that will be e-mail, other times ink, it may include Augmented Reality, or QR codes. Maybe it will be a POD program or VDP/W2P storefront. Who knows, but being versed and capable in all and helping to identify the best choice is your role. The C-Level is where this happens. I’ve never in my life studied as hard as I have over the last year to obtain a C but I wouldn’t want anything else!
