Print can be intimidating if you’re not from that world. Promo distributors might look at a wide-format printer, or find themselves involved in a conversation about printer heads, inks and all the other various nuts and bolts of printing, and before they can say “CMYK,” their head is spinning.
This should not discourage a distributor from thinking about print, said Denise Gustavson. Gustavson, the vice president of editorial and content strategy for PRINTING United Alliance, ASI’s strategic partner, delivered a presentation at the ASI Show Chicago to simplify the print world for a promo audience and assure them that selling print doesn’t mean they have to be print experts.
“You have to understand what’s being produced,” Gustavson said. “I know what a flyer is. I know what a brochure is. I know what a trade show display is. I know what a banner is. You don’t necessarily need to know how it’s done, you just need to know how to talk about the products that you’re going to be selling.”
Gustavson said that sometimes distributors adding print might bite off more than they can chew at first, and that’s a mistake.
“Start with the easy stuff,” she said. “Maybe that’s a banner. Maybe you’re doing T-shirts for a golf outing, for instance, and maybe you’re imprinting some golf balls for the event. Can you provide a banner for the golf outing? It’s a simple thing. It’s not very complicated, but it’s something that you’re offering in addition to what you might already be doing with that golf outing.”
You as the distributor don’t need to get too specific with printing processes, Gustavson said. Your end-buyers don’t necessarily need to hear about that, or even care. What they do care about is what products you can provide to create a wide-ranging campaign that accomplishes their goals. So, you as the distributor only need to be knowledgeable enough to suggest products that you can confidently say would help their cause.
“Think smaller, think simple,” Gustavson said.
Podcast Chapters
0:25: Denise Gustavson’s 28 years in the print industry
1:00: The conversion of print and promotional products over time
2:08: Busting myths of selling print
3:18: You don’t need to be an expert on print to sell print
5:02: The easiest ways for promo distributors to start selling print
6:26: Adding print and kitting to promotional campaigns
8:10: Turning existing client trust into print opportunities
9:10: Why the line between print and promo is disappearing
10:45: How to find print opportunities in existing business
12:11: Where to learn the basics of print
Key Takeaways
• Print and promotional products are increasingly converging, creating more opportunities for distributors.
• Promo distributors don’t need to become print production experts to sell print.
• The easiest entry to print is through simple, familiar products.
• Kitting creates a natural print opportunity for promo distributors.
• Existing customer trust gives promo distributors an advantage when introducing print.
• Selling print alongside promo can make a distributor a more valuable resource.
• Distributors should look at every existing campaign, proposal or RFP and consider where print elements could fit in.
