Why Your Fancy Printer Won't Sell Your Print

It is natural to be proud of the machinery. You spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on a press. You spend months training the staff to run it. You know exactly what the dpi capabilities are and how fast it can run a SRA3 sheet.

But here is the uncomfortable truth.

Your customer does not care.

To a printer, a new press is a marvel of engineering just as much as a shiny sports car. To a customer, it is just a big metal box that makes noise. They are not buying the machine. They are not buying the ink. They are not even really buying the paper.

They are buying an outcome.

The manufacturer mindset trap

The problem often starts with the way printers view themselves. You see yourself as a manufacturer. You take raw materials and turn them into a finished product.

So when you write your website copy or stand up at a networking event, you talk like a manufacturer. You use acronyms. You talk about GSM and bleed and crop marks. You list the technical specifications of your plant list.

And the customer switches off immediately.

They are thinking about their trade show next Tuesday. They are worried that if the brochures look cheap, they won’t attract the business they need. They are stressed about whether the delivery will arrive before the delegates do.

When you talk about specs, you are adding to their cognitive load. You are making them work harder to understand you.

Sell the hole, not the drill

There is an old marketing saying that people don't buy a drill, they buy a hole in the wall.

In print, it is the same. They don't want a 400gsm matt laminated business card with spot UV. They want to look professional when they hand their details to a prospect. They want to feel confident that they are making a good impression.

The shift happens when you stop talking about the process and start talking about the result.

Instead of listing the machinery, talk about the reliability. Tell them that your capacity means you never miss a deadline. Tell them that your colour management means their brand looks consistent in London and New York.

The practical test

If you look at your website right now, count how many times you mention a machine model versus how many times you mention a client success story.

If the balance is wrong, rewrite one page. Pick your main service page. Strip out the jargon. Remove the model numbers. Replace them with plain English that explains how this service helps a business grow, or save time, or look better.

Then watch the response. When you speak the customer's language, they stop treating you like a factory and start treating you like a partner.

Book your discovery call today, and let's get started: https://calendly.com/theonlineprintcoach/30-min-discovery-call