Printwear & Promotion The Total Promotional Package
With so many ways companies can look to expand business, the Online Print Coach, Colin Sinclair McDermott hastens to explain that perhaps the best way is in previous conversations. In this column he explains how rekindling prior conversations and email threads could find you that much needed business.
Want to improve your marketing? Start by talking to your sales team. If you’re a solo operator, take a look at your inbox. Hidden in those conversations are your most important marketing insights. What are customers asking? Where do they hesitate? What objections crop up time and time again?
These aren’t just hurdles, they’re headlines. They should shape your next email campaign, inspire your next social post, and become the backbone of your FAQ page. Great content doesn’t start with tools like ChatGPT. It starts where your customers are already talking.
Turn questions into content
Too many decorators overlook the treasure trove of customer queries. That same question you answered for a prospect last week? Repurpose it into a LinkedIn tip, a short video, or a carousel post. When someone asks, “Can you also print signage?” it’s a reminder that many don’t know the full scope of your services. Don’t wait for them to ask or place their orders with someone else who can. Show them!
A smart digital toolkit supports this. Tools like Trello, Notion, or even a shared Google Doc can become your running content calendar. Every email you answer or quote you send could feed into next week’s marketing. Marketing isn’t separate from the day job, it’s part of the process.
Reviving the quiet ones
Let’s talk about the quiet customers, the ones who ordered heavy last year and have since gone silent. It’s tempting to assume they’ve gone elsewhere. But often, they just haven’t been reminded that you’re still there, still relevant, and still offering value.
Use your email list not just to sell but to serve. Send a useful tip, a relevant case study, or even a soft reminder like, “We noticed you haven’t ordered in a while. Here’s something new you might find useful.”
Tools like Mailchimp make it easy to automate these gentle nudges. You won’t win them all back, but a few well-timed touch points can reopen doors you thought were closed.
Digital doesn’t mean distant
Digital tools are brilliant, but don’t neglect the tactile. A well-branded sample pack or physical mailer stands out. One client recently launched a high-quality leave-behind pack filled with personalised garment samples. It wasn’t just about decoration; it was proof of quality and capability.
Use your digital tools to get permission to send something physical. A social post or landing page that offers a free sample pack in exchange for an address? That’s engagement, not interruption. And engagement beats cold-calling every time.
Pricing with purpose
Digital tools can also help you grow with the right clients. One decorator I worked with recently put it bluntly: “I realised I was still charging like it was 2019.”
Tools like QuickBooks, Xero, or even a well-set-up spreadsheet can help you track your true costs. But pricing isn’t just calculations, it’s messaging. Update your prices to reflect your value, and communicate that shift clearly. When you charge what your work is worth, you attract clients who respect it, and lose the ones who don’t.
Digital growth isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing the right things, more consistently. Whether you’re a solo decorations or a growing team, your next big win might not come from a flashy new platform. It might be sitting in your inbox, waiting to be turned into content, connection, or a conversation-starter. The tools are there. The insights are already in your hands. All that’s left is to hit publish.
