What Not to Do

Have you ever watched the show on TLC called "What Not to Wear?" Being a minor fashionista, I watch it fairly often to make sure I'm not breaking any rules that would lead to an embarrassing wardrobe situation. I was reminded of this show the other day while waiting in the lobby at a customer's office. This short recap of what transpired isn't about fashion, but it's about how we armour ourselves as representatives of our company.

Scene: I'm standing in the lobby in front of the receptionist's desk while she is tracking down my appointment (he was away from his desk). In walks an older man with messy hair and his shirt was a bit rumpled.

Diaglogue: Man: "Great, there's two of us. I hope you're not the competition. Payroll services here." Me: "No, sir, I'm not in payroll, but the receptionist will be right back."

Action: He walks to the desk, tosses a business card on her desk, turns around and walks out the door.

Result: Receptionist returns and asks me about the mysterious business card now on her desk, so I told her what had happened. She tossed his card in the trash immediately.

I wasn't sure if it was the man's attitude or his lack of material to leave behind that bothered me the most, but after thinking about this, I wish I would have asked for his card. I want to talk to the marketing folks at his company to see if they need sales materials for their reps to "leave behind" on sales calls. BPI Media Group could print collateral for them--pocket folder, capabilities sheets, company overview, services brochures, etc. We could even set them up on a storefront where the reps can log in and order stationery, collateral, promo items, etc so as never to get caught without anything to leave behind to explain more about how their company can be of service.

If your company could benefit from BPI's online system where your reps, different offices or departments or channel partners can order materials online to help promote your company and boost sales, we need to talk.

Until next time...Elizabeth

Cultivate and Develop

The sales team at BPI Media Group is at it again. We're focusing on business development and want to help you do the same. With all the marketing tools at our disposal, we want to work with our customers (and future customers!) to help us all grow our businesses. Why partner with BPI to cultivate prospects and turn them into loyal customers?

• We have proven results with our existing customers. Just ask. We can provide case studies and references.
• Our customers stick with us because of the customer service and relationships we garner with them.
• Our expertise in both traditional, offset printing and newer technologies that come with digital printing are proof of the 70+ years of experience of our skilled press operators.
• Evolving technologies of print on demand and storefronts with real-time reporting help us provide the info our customers really need to know.
• Specialized solutions such as cross-media integration and data analytics allow us to show our customers how to have 1:1 communications with their target audiences.

Need more proof that we can help your business grow? Just look at our own sales...ask our sales team...we're growing and don't plan on stopping any time soon.

Until next time...Elizabeth

Words of Wisdom

One of the greatest things about being a part of BPI Media Group is that we have a tremendous management team. Being tremendous to me equates into being a leader by example and also being supportive. Our President, Alan Davis, shared these words of wisdom from a famous executive with our sales team recently, and I thought these were worth sharing. The printing industry has been forced to change, and our leadership has embraced the changes and helped us drive forward with the tools and solutions we need to help our customers prosper (storefronts, print on demand, etc). I hope these will speak to you in some positive way.

These are quotes from Jack Welch, former CEO of GE. One important fact about him is that he took over as CEO of GE corp in the 80’s and GE had assets of 8 billion. When he retired, GE had assets of 400 billion.

“Change before you have to.”

“An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage.”

“Control your own destiny or someone else will.”

“There is no such thing as work-life balance. There are work-life choices, and you make them, and they have consequences.”

“Be Candid with everyone.”

“I’ve learned that mistakes can often be as good a teacher as success.”

More quotes by Jack Lynch.

Until next time...Elizabeth

Resolve to Market

This week, I want to share with you ways that BPI Media Group can help kickstart your marketing campaign for 2013. This letter from BPI's President, Alan Davis, sums it up nicely.

The New Year has arrived and is a time for most people to create their 2013 resolutions. What are your resolutions for this year: weight loss, read more productive books or control the road rage? Because most individuals do not write down their resolution goals, make lifestyle changes or realize that changes don’t happen overnight, most resolutions are only a memory after the first couple of months into the new year.

The same is true for your marketing objectives in 2013. By laying out a clear plan of objectives and getting away from the “that’s the way we have always done it” attitude can lead to measurable growth in 2013! BPI Media Group offers a number of services that can be used in a variety of combinations to make your marketing dollars produce the results to meet your goals.

• Variable Data Printing to personally speak to your customers
• Big Data Analytics to control marketing cost with precise offerings
• Storefront portals to assist in marketing collateral management
• Print on Demand to reduce inventory levels
• Online proofing to reduce costly customer alteration charges
• Web Development so customers find you instead of you finding them

The major aspect that ties all of these together is the ability to track and report all activities so that each activity is measured, analyzed and modified. This year make your marketing resolutions stick by making company “lifestyle” changes, evaluating results to make changes based on data and create a system that will stand the test of time.

For more information about the offerings of BPI Media Group, contact us to speak with an experienced sales representative.

Until next time...Elizabeth

Thankfulness

The turkey is in the roasting pan, the sweet potato casserole is in the oven, and the pecan pies are cooling. What are your family's or company's Thanksgiving traditions? At BPI Media Group, we are "a family" as well, and we want to extend our thankfulness to those who work with us. Not only are we grateful to handle your print projects, mailings, fulfillment, websites, storefronts, and design, but we are most grateful to have the opportunity to develop relationships with each of our customers. Those relationships are what make us your partner. For the opportunities you've given us and the trust you place in BPI's team, we say "thank you!"

Happy Thanksgiving!

Until next time...Elizabeth

Web Meet Print: Click. Order. Print.

After talking with a marketer today, I was reminded of the happy marriage between the web and print. This reminder was refreshing and brought a smile to my face because it nullifies the theory that the web is the be-all, end-all of print. I, along with BPI Media Group, are glad to prove that theory wrong!

With the birth of online ordering portals (aka, storefronts), this marriage between web and print was solidified. They not only simply coexist in the marketing world but also work in perfect harmony. Let me explain...

Wouldn't it be super-easy if all of your reps, district managers or branch offices could order versioned collateral material from corporate-approved branding? Yes! BPI's storefront solution makes this possible. You can even have corporate approve the orders to make sure one overly-eager rep isn't running up a big tab on print materials. Reviewing the ordering history and inventory levels via real-time reporting access also makes keeping tabs on use of collateral simple.

During and after this meeting today, I was excited about print again because now there are so many more ways to put ink on paper. It can be through the web where we as printers aren't having to compete for marketing dollars, but we can merge the print and online content, repurpose it for greater use (think e-newsletters and white papers)serve a broader audience. This audience is not only the internal sales and marketing team members but also the customers and prospects who receive the messaging via print and online mediums.

I am proud to declare the war is over between the web and print. We're working together quite nicely here at BPI./

Read more about how print is still alive and kickin':

• TIME Magazine and The Power of Print: Creating and Continuing the Conversation
• Web-to-Print: the revitalization of the impression in the Internet age

Until next time...Elizabeth

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BPI's FAQ's

The most common question I hear is "Can you do this?" "This" is always something specific, so I wanted to give you a run-down of the things that BPI Media Group can do. We'll call this the question and answer portion of the blog. While we like to consider ourselves a one-stop-shop, if there's a project that is well outside the scope of our capabilities, we have a network of partners and vendors that we can refer you to in order help make your project come to fruition. As you can imagine, over the past eleven years at BPI, I've been asked "Can you...?" more times than I admit because then I start telling my age.

BPI's Can-Do List

• Provide customer service from your project's start to finish.
• Design and layout a brochure, book, magazine, etc.
• Design a website
• Assist with SEO on your website
• Print up to 28 x 40 sheet size
• Print with variable data (personalized messaging)
• Varnish, aqueous, uv coat or laminate
• Print short-runs (yes, thanks to our Kodak Nexpress digital press, we can do one-offs as easy as we can do a few hundred copies)
• Print boxes or other custom packaging and signs
• Offer a fast, online proofing system (ours is called insite & it's awesome!)
• Help with promotional items
• Address and mail (and yes, with intelligent mail barcoding)
• Purchase demographic-specific mail lists
• Saddlestitch, perfect bind, coil bind
• 3-hole drill, shrink wrap, round corner
• Diecut for a unique size/shape
• Ship to your distribution list
• Set up an online storefront for ordering of collateral, stationery, promo items, etc.
• Manage and store inventory of items you don't have room to store at your location
• Process online orders through our fulfillment system
• Provide case studies, white papers and training on new products/services
• Provide order history and tracking for orders through our storefront/fulfillment system
• Manage integrated campaigns (included sms text messaging, email blasts, QR codes, and landing pages-personalized and standard).
• Provide ROI calculator for integrated campaigns and online dashboard for lead generation/tracking.

While this isn't the be-all, end-all of BPI's ever-changing capabilities, this should answer some of the FAQ's I get. If there's anything you want to know if we can do, just ask. I'll be more than happy to help, and if we cannot do it, I'll work dilligently to help find a trusted partner who can help you. For more details about BPI's services, click here.

Until next time...Elizabeth

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