My Marketing 101

The more I read and see what is going on online, the more I realize I need to get myself more…online.

Before the internet, there was way less competition. Sure it was harder to reach out to folks and nab new potential clients from across the globe, damn near impossible. But now, with all of this social connection, web presences from so many people. So many companies selling some of the same services and products as I am. It’s scary.

But scary is good. It means that if what I am selling is being sold by thousands or even hundreds of thousands of other folks, I must be in a solid field. I must have products that people want.

But what makes me different? Why would anyone buy from me vs. all the competition? The thing is, not a ton of people buy from me. I have a pretty small client list in comparison to an online shopping cart print vendor. Because my client list is typically ongoing business. Once clients use me for a project, they tend to use me for any project they think I can handle. This is what is great about having a business. It’s great when people actually like you personally and love the work you did for them so much, that they want to use you over and over again. As long as they are thrilled with the results, they stay.

Now, I am not a print or display selling chop shop like most of my online competition. Ok, so I shouldn’t say “most” of my competition. Lets just say some of my competition. As one example, there are a lot of big companies out there that sell similar displays for trade show booths. Maybe even the same exact brand display as the ones I am pushing. But they sell it for less. All depends on the product. But if my price is significantly higher, than what are they doing wrong.

What they are doing is selling to the masses. Getting a ton of one time sales. They do not care if you come back to buy again or if your file is wrong, or fucked up, or if the quality sucks or its the wrong size. They won’t tell you if your image is going to look like an oversized pixelated piece of dog shit when you receive it. After being drop shipped to your show and you are all excited to open it up the morning of the event setup and then realize you are totally fucked and you would rather not display anything and look like fools, vs. displaying the horror show that you just wasted your money on and look like a cheap careless asshole. Not to mention the money you wasted on the show space rental, the hotel rooms, the flights, the salaries you are paying your employees to come out and attend.

So, this is just an example of what can happen and probably has happened to a bunch of good folks out there who wanted to save money and roll the dice and take a risk on a much cheaper display they found online elsewhere after they googled the same display name that someone like me was trying to sell them on.

Marketing 101 — you get what you pay for.

Don’t sacrifice ruining a butt load of your money, time and most importantly, your image, just because you wanted to save $300 on an $1800 display.

When I take on a job for a client, I give them a price. In that price there is always a markup from a set cost for the actual product or printed good. Then there is the markup for the file check/proofing. The file fixing if minor. If major, the price goes up by the hour and is explained in advance that your file will not print well as is. We need to fix this and this is why! Then based on if I am actually producing it, which you are in the most caring of hands, or if I am outsourcing to one of my vendors who I know will pull off the quality I am expecting, because at the end of the day, my name goes on my products and my name will not display shit work. If outsourced, I am constantly triple checking my orders, my files before uploads, the proofs and order verifications I receive back from said vendor. I google my clients drop ship addresses to make sure nothing is wrong there. I stay on top of my reps. I ask questions, I harass, I annoy, I make sure everything is right on the money and that things are going out on time. I keep my clients up to date on the jobs progress, sometimes daily or even hourly if it’s a major rush. I want my clients to feel like they are my number one priority. And they are. Always.

This is why you pay me that extra $300 for that display that is the same display you can buy cheaper online elsewhere at these print selling chop shops. If you were to order from us both, I am certain you would feel more confident with your order coming through me. Why? Because I actually fucking care. About you, your order, your final product and your happiness with your experience working with me.

That is my marketing 101. You get what you pay for and when you come to me, I make sure I Get Things Done Right!

Thank You,

This is my first medium post fyi — I have lots of other stuff brewing, I have just been too afraid to press PUBLISH. Well, look at me now! Thanks Jon W.

Dr. Walter Uneekego

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I AM a Very Visual Guy. A Super Dad of 3 Kids Under 5. Starting to BLOG About My Life!

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