Is print dead? That’s a question that has been around the marketing world since the internet began.

If you looked at the latest and forever shrinking yellow pages or disappearing traditional publications, you could be forgiven for believing that print marketing has had its day. Especially if you view print marketing in the same light as those publications that charged an absolute fortune for the eyeballs they supposedly controlled.

The truth is the old print advertising model always had one interest at heart – their own! That’s because they were publicly listed entities beholden to shareholders and ever growing profits.

Sadly they forgot the golden rule: that the customer comes first, because the customer provides their revenue, and without the customer the shareholders also leave.

In fact, if it were’t for cafes, I doubt that those old traditional newspapers would still be in print.

Direct response marketers, on the other hand, have always stayed true to the real purpose of printed collateral. They understand that a well crafted postcard, brochure & business card act like silent sales people, and continue to sell with a high return for those using this medium well.

Think about it logically. For the cost of a traditional print ad, how many postcards could you send direct to your target market? We are literally talking thousands if not tens of thousands.

Well designed, well written, perfectly chosen words can touch the heart of your potential clients, lifting them to another level and closer to what they desire in your product or service.

A beautiful postcard can slip into an empty mailbox, directly entering the conversation that is already going on in your prospects mind, and highlighting how your business can service their immediate needs and desires.

Contrast that with the average of 141 emails a day that most of us receive, and the humble postcard is now unrivalled in its ability to speak directly to your potential client.

The postcard’s sole job is to start the conversation, to get the customer to call or visit your offer online.

Then if, like most businesses, you meet people face to face, how do you leave a great impression and continue to have the person reflect on your offer while they are relaxed? And allow them to explain your offer to their spouse or business partner if required?

How do you maintain control after you have left? Email can keep you top of mind, but so much gets lost in translation should the person you visit then explain your offering to another. What is the solution?

Enter a well-crafted brochure, beautifully printed with images that demonstrate clearly “what’s in it for me,” allowing the both the prospect or the new reader to recall what was said during your meeting, while reinforcing the next logical step.

If your postcard printing job is to start the conversation, the brochure printing job is to keep the deal alive and continue to sell long after you have gone.

The only step left now, with a great call to action in your brochure, is for the prospect to pick up your business card printing, which repeats your call to action and has them follow through by emailing you or making the call to take you up on your proposal.

Your direct marketing print materials work hand in hand to grow your business. A weak link or inconsistency in the chain can be enough to break down all your hard work and kill the deal.

• Is your print message consistent?
• Do you have the same look and feel across all your materials?
• Is each item doing the one job it is designed to do?

A common mistake is to try and get one item to do all steps in the process. To be more efficient and close more deals ensure you have a single call to action like the one below.

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“Hire people who are better than you are, then leave them to get on with it.

Look for people who will aim for the remarkable, who will not settle for the routine.”

David Ogilvy