An e-mail about print

Q&A with Linda Bishop, President & Chief Sales Officer, Thought Transformation

Linda Bishop is passionate about sales and marketing, and she believes the best way to grow revenues is to develop and execute a process that grows sales. For over 15 years, she was a top performer for a division of RR Donnelley. Today she works with businesses across North America, helping them grow their sales with the right strategy and the best combination of tools, training, and tactics.

Linda understands the value of cross pollinating marketing vehicles and connecting with communities via their chosen channels. She, however, will always have a love for print and feels that, in many ways, it is more relevant than ever before. It is becoming so relevant that we are utilizing an email to evangelize the value of print.

Should print be evangelized to marketers?

Customers don’t want to “print.” They want business results. If we wanted to evangelize print, or any communication vehicle for that matter, we need to do a better job of understanding how it solves our clients' marketing problems, and “preaching” how it helps marketers improve conversion.

What are the misconceptions about using print in modern-day marketing?

One big one is that you can’t see who engages with print. In a world where printed pieces can include online engagement devices like QR Codes and web-based Augmented Reality, there are ways to identify hand-raisers with an interest in what a customer wants to sell.

Can you share what you consider the advantages of print over other media?

First of all, how we engage with printed items is very different than how we engage with online information. Think thoughtful attention versus endless scrolling. And there is plenty of research on this topic and how our brain reacts to print compared to digital. Because of this, I believe print can tell a bigger brand story and keep people’s attention. Also, we get far fewer printed pieces than emails, so that is another advantage.

What are some ways marketers can use print with other channels?

Instead of using the old spray-and-pray method for print, be more selective. Use print as a triggered response, or at a key branching point in a buying journey. Print also makes a great lead magnet, where you mail someone information or a kit with samples.

What advice do you have for marketers about getting to know print?

Be more knowledgeable about how it fits into marketing as a whole. Your trusted advisors can bring you information that helps you accomplish your goals. And read up on it a bit. There are numerous sources of information that discuss the return on investment of print and how it connects so well with people.