NEWSFLASH – Style & Imprint join forces

Filed under: Printing, Small Business — Tags: — trevor @ 08/07/2010 8:28 pm

July 8 2010

We are pleased to announce that Style Communications and Imprint have joined together, both print businesses have served the Mona Vale community over a long period.

Style and Imprint have always offered unique value propositions to customers which has allowed both to grow and prosper. With this move we believe we are able to offer our combined customers more value from one convenient location.

Rob from Imprint brings alot of knowledge about offset and volume printing. Rob will be concentrating on managing key accounts and servicing customers. Shayna is an expert in marketing for small to medium business and provides quality advise on how to use print, design and signs to maximise sales. Together we make a great team which ultimately benefits our customers.

We will continue to keep the Imprint shop open for a short so we have time to make sure all customers are aware of the change and can easily find us.

Shayna and Rob both own a share in the new enterprise which continues to trade under “Style Communications”.

Understand your product or service

Filed under: Marketing, Printing, Small Business — Tags: , — trevor @ 28/03/2010 2:50 pm

Alot of effort is required to effectively promote a product or service so its really important that you understand what you are actually selling. Only when you understand the core reason people are buying your product or service that you can use marketing technique to increase demand. This post is highlighting the importance of understanding your core product for small business, because small business needs to maximise its investment in limited marketing budgets. This concept is best illustrated with a simple example below.

Why does a customer by a drill from a hardware store? Not because they want to own a drill , it is because they need a hole in the wall.

Generally a product or service can be broken into 3 levels,

Three product levels

Three levels of product or service

  • Core benefits or service  - this is what the customer is actually buying. Its the problem solved or benefits the customer gets when they buy the actual product or service. In the example above its the ability to create a hole.
  • Actual product or service – is generally the product or service purchased by the consumer. In the example above its the actual drill purchased from the hardware.
  • Augmented product  - these are customer valued extras which are designed to add value to the customer. Examples of augmented products include warranties, customer services, trading terms, delivery, installation etc.

Most small businesses understand actual and augmented product but take the core benefit for granted. This results in marketing effort concentrating on the benefits of the actual product rather than addressing the reason people are buying the product.

Customers tend to see products or services as complex bundles of benefits.

Why should you even care?

Its important to understand all this because combined it is your value proposition to customer. Most competition these days is around the augmented products and services it is where companies create a competitive advantage.

Also it is easier to increase demand for a product or services if you understand the core benefit your customers expect to get from buying your product or services. Marketing should be targeting the core benefits and augmented products because these are where customers will decide how to spend their hard earned.

Case Study: Style Communications

The following diagram is used internally as a way to clearly communicate to our staff the business we are in and how we add value to our customers.

Style value proposition

As this diagram shows the products we sell are in the ring surrounding our core benefit which is solving our customers communication needs. Print related materials is all about communicating and we are experts in this area. We believe our competitive advantage comes from the outer circle because this is how we add more value to our customers than the competition.

Its clear to us where we need to

  • Spend our marketing budget
  • Develop our staff
  • Invest in our product
  • Why our customers choose us over our competitors.

At Style we understand our products and why you need them. We can also help you understand your product or services and develop a unique value proposition for your customers.

How to connect with customers

Filed under: Marketing, Printing, Technology — Tags: , , , — trevor @ 25/06/2009 9:48 pm

Its important for small business to stay connected to customers, the problem is how?  This post provides a list of practical ways to stay connected to customers.

The importance of staying connected was discussed in my “What is marketing?” post.

Below is some practical ways to stay connected with customers

1) Pick up the phone.

A great way to stay connected to your best customers is simply pickup the phone and call them.  You will be amazed how open people will be with feedback if you explicitly ask for it.

Ask your customers a few questions;

  • What are we good at?
  • How could we improve?

2) Work in the customer service / sales function of your business

If your business has a retail or customer service function spend some time in that area listening to customers. You will be amazed what you will learn

  • Customer Service – this area of your business gets more feedback from customers than any other. The old saying here is happy customer tell 2 people and unhappy customer tell 10. It pays to be on top of unhappy customers.
  • Sales team – its important to know why you win jobs, but even more important to know you didn’t win. Lost sales give you feedback about what the market thinks of your products or services compared to your competitors.

3) Invest in CRM technology.

CRM stands for Customer Relationship manager. CRM systems make staying in contact and recording conversations with customers easy. Its important to track customer through the sales process into the support process.

CRM provide a wealth of information about how your business deals with customers.

  • Who your biggest customers are?
  • Who your most profitable customers are?
  • Sales pipeline reporting – what the future holds
  • Sales conversion reporting – how effective your sales team is?
  • Customer service levels – how you are servicing your customers?

Even micro business can benefit for keeping accurate information about customers. You will be amazed how effective sending a small gift to a customer on their birthday.

4) Customer Feedback

Ask your customers for feedback via surveys, but be careful not to overuse this method. One way to make this more effective is to offer a prize for the feedback.

Different types of surveys

  • Automated web surveys – see a great free web survey site called survey monkey
  • Paper based survey in the retail
  • Mail survey cards with return address envelopes

5) Direct mailing using customer information

Direct mailing is a cost effective method of connecting with you customers.  Its possible to create a design incorporating your customers details and preferences. Its called variable data digital printing, every printed page is customised to the individual which grabs their attention and increase your response.

6) Start a Blog or Newsletter on your website

Blogging is a great way to communicate with customers en-masse. The trick with blogging is having something that your customers actually want to read.  Content on blog pages must be short and punchy.

Blogging actually takes a significant amount of time so don’t underestimate the effort required.

Final word

At Style we are experts in marketing and printing so we can help you connect with your customers. Connecting with your customers will help you understand them, support them and sell to them.

How to remove Vinyl Signage

Filed under: Printing — Tags: , , — shayna @ 22/06/2009 1:19 pm

We all need to update our signage from time to time and I am frequently asked how to remove unwanted signage, in particular printed or cut adhesive vinyl. To remove adhesive vinyl, you will need a heat gun or if you don’t have one a high powered hair dryer will do. Heat the vinyl sufficiently enough until the adhesive on the back begins to melt thus allowing you to peel the vinyl off the applied surface.

Laminated vinyl will take a little more heating than cut vinyl and its best just to start on one area and work your way across.

You can remove all the excess adhesive with a goo remover or methylated spirits.  A razor blade will also assist this process. You should make sure that the surface is thoroughly clean before applying any new signage.

Style new blog

Filed under: Marketing, Printing, Small Business, Technology — trevor @ 30/04/2009 12:05 pm

This is Style’s new blog which is deadicated to providing useful information to our customers. The content of the blog will be designed to answer common questions about the printing industry.

Over time we will add to the site any information we think is relevent.

Feedback on the usefulness of this blog is welcome

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