Tag: sales

business tips

2022 Print Shop Artwork & Sales Resolutions You’ll Love

It’s time to start thinking about how you can give your print shop the jumpstart it deserves in 2022, with some artwork and sales resolutions top shops already practice. For example: creating a unique brand experience, following up to get the sale, and knowing when to outsource your shop’s artwork generation. Ready for all 10 business-changing resolutions? Let’s jump right in.

Put These Smart Sales Strategies Into Practice

While we hear over and over that sales are the lifeblood of your business, if your sales process has gaps, that won’t get the cash flowing into your shop. Here are five ways you can up the ante in your sales game in 2022.

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business tips, customer experience

Secrets from Successful Sales Teams to Turbo-Charge Yours

It took five years of building a relationship and following up for Chicago-based decorator Rowboat Creative to close a sale with a large music industry merch group. “Another decorator had burned them, and it was finally our time to make it happen,” says Lucas Guariglia, CEO and co-founder. “We turned out 30,000-multi-location imprints in two days for two sold-out shows at Soldier Field. Our team’s persistence in earning the sale and then coming through like we did locked in the relationship, and we’ve been off to the races ever since.”

We asked some of the apparel industry’s top sales managers and salespeople to share their up-to-the-minute strategies for standing out, leading profitable sales conversations, overcoming cold-call jitters and objections, and making the big-league sales. Check out our favorite strategies for increasing your bottom line with your sales team’s help.

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business tips, decoration tips

Here’s How to Make Amazing Artwork Your Shop’s Competitive Advantage

Artwork is among your shop’s most valuable, and profitable, assets. “Graphics are our industry’s currency,” says Craig Mertens, general manager of GraphicsFlow. “The shop with the more relatable artwork will win in the marketplace.” 

Successful decorators use graphics as their competitive advantage. “At the end of the day, when faced with options, buyers will usually choose the shop with the best designs and graphics, given the emotional connection to their brand and identity,” Mertens says.

At Night Owls Print Shop, the art team is one of the shop’s most important assets. “We couldn’t put out the level of work that we do without our team,” says Co-Owner Valerie Solomon. “If you’re printing any full-color design, you rely on your art separations to make printing and setup easier. That’s why skilled artists are vital.”

“Anyone can put a logo on a shirt, but not everyone can put killer artwork on a shirt. That’s the superpower you’re looking for to increase your sales.”
Marshall Atkinson, Atkinson Consulting

Even if you’re running a DTG shop, a talented art department will set you apart. “Artists challenge the status quo or think outside the box, so that gives you a competitive advantage,” says Michelle Moxley, innovation director at The M&R Companies. “Plus, on-press artists can drive innovation into an embellishment, expanding your capabilities and accentuating your uniqueness to the market.” 

As a decorator, you know your customer artwork files are among the most valuable assets you have … and your artwork department is one of your main revenue generators. However, if your graphics workflow isn’t tight or your graphics files aren’t organized, you’re leaving a lot of money on the table. “Anyone can put a logo on a shirt, but not everyone can put killer artwork on a shirt,” says Marshall Atkinson, business consultant at Atkinson Consulting and Shirt Lab Tribe. “That’s the superpower you’re looking for to increase your sales.”

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