4 Communication Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Meetings

communication mistakes that could ruin your personalized print staff meetings, sales meetings and moreWhen you carve out time in your busy schedule to hold a meeting, you want to make sure you use your time effectively and make the most of your time together. However, if you aren’t communicating well, you might be ruining your meetings. Are you making these mistakes—and do you know how to keep them from ruining your meetings?

1. Forgetting the Important Information
If you have important information that should be reviewed before the meeting starts, don’t forget to share it! Not only will this ensure that everyone is on the same page, but it will also save you time in summarizing that information.

2. Having Too Few People at Your Meeting
Have you ever been at a meeting and, midway through, wished that you’d included someone? Sometimes, your meeting can grind to a halt when you don’t have that person there, even if you’re able to track them down or reschedule.

However, there are definitely ways to keep this from making too big of an impact. Did you forget someone important? Was someone not able to be there? Make sure that you take the time to catch up with them after the meeting. This can mean taking notes of all the decisions made at that meeting, keeping note of the questions that you want to ask them, and the pros and cons of undecided issues.

Of course, having too few people at your meeting isn’t the only numbers issue you might face…

3. Having Too Many People At Your Meeting
If you’ve been to enough meetings, you’ll probably have come across an overstuffed meeting before and be very familiar with the issues that these meetings face. It can be hard, with so many people, to have important points heard. And if your meeting has too many people in it, you might find yourself facing another issue…

4. Having Multiple Relevant Conversations Going on At Once
Have you ever been to a meeting where the attendees walked out of the meeting feeling like the group came to very different conclusions? One of the reasons for this might be that the meeting splintered into a few different conversations. This can easily lead to different attendees hearing different information and coming to different conclusions about what the next step is, and that can be a big problem for your projects.

So how can you fix this when two groups of people within the meeting need to address focused points? Don’t just let the meeting wander off into multiple conversations. Instead be intentional when these conversations break off, and make sure to share the decisions with the group when you come back together.

Have you made these communication mistakes? Are we missing a mistake that has impacted your meeting? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

4 Networking Tips You Must Know

networking tips for small business personalized print sales and marketingWhether you are looking for a way to connect with new customers or you’re hoping to have a good conversation with other professionals, a networking event could be a great way to create those new connections. However, these events are what you make them, and creating a quality connection is as much about your skills at networking as it is about the event. Here are four networking tips you must know.

1. Listen When You Join A Conversation—And Show That You’ve Been Listening
When you’re approaching a group of people already engaged in conversation, take some time to listen. Not only will this allow you to have a good understanding of what the group is talking about, but it will also give you a chance to figure out if the conversation is relevant to your interests.

And, when you do join in yourself, acknowledge a point that has been made rather than refocusing the conversation on yourself. Not only will this ensure that you enter the conversation smoothly, but it will ensure that you maintain a friendly tone.

2. Don’t Focus on What You Want—Focus on What You Can Offer
You’re going to the networking event for a reason—usually to make new business connections and possibly make a sale—but don’t let that reason keep you from having a good conversation! Focus on what your customer is saying and how you can speak to the challenges they are facing in their business.

And speaking of that focus…

3. Polish Up Your Elevator Pitch
We’ve talked about elevator pitches before, and a networking event is tailor-made for these one-to-two-sentence summaries of your business. And you can tailor your pitch according to the event. If you’re going to a networking event for social reasons, keep your pitch focused on who you are as a print professional. If you are going to the event to connect with prospective customers, keep the pitch focused on what your business can do for them.

4. Find a Reason to Follow Up
If you’ve established a rapport with someone, keep that relationship going! Once you’ve got their contact information, be sure to reconnect within a week of meeting them. Whether it’s sending an article relevant to the topic you discussed or giving them a call to discuss their product needs, finding a practical reason to follow up can help keep the conversation going.

How do you make the most out of your networking efforts? We’d love to see your suggestions in the comments below.

Labels Play A Critical Role The Healthcare Industry—No Second Opinion Needed!

Thoughts of hospital and medical supplies might conjure up images of a healthy amount of bandages, swabs, and tongue depressors, as well as linen storage with an unending supply of unflattering hospital gowns. But it takes much, much more than cotton balls and ill-fitting gowns to make a medical care facility run well. Along with all the medications, monitors, medical devices and paperwork, labels play an integral role in the smooth and safe operation of a hospital, clinic, or other healthcare facility. Before you request a second opinion on that, let’s take a look at some of the ways labels are put to work in the healthcare setting.

Patient identification and charting labels immediately pop to mind when discussing medical labels. These play a vital role in safety and organization. Whether affixed to conventional paper charts, applied to lab orders, or adhered to patient wristbands, patient ID labels provide clear, concise information that is easy to read and won’t fall victim to spills or daily wear and tear.

Prescription alerts and allergy notification labels are just as important in the healthcare setting, and can be found on charts, wristbands, and prescription bottles. Thermal or direct transfer stocks facilitate easy printing of patient information on site. These labels work wonders at keeping things moving in an efficient and quick manner. Emergency rooms are no place for ink cartridge crises!

Equipment identification labels assure that medical equipment can be returned to the proper department, and can also document proof that each device is serviced regularly. Operating instructions or caution labels affixed to hospital beds, IV pumps, and other machinery and medical equipment ensure proper usage and minimize the risk of accidents or injury.

For younger patients, what would a trip to the doctor or hospital be without some fun stickers? Sticker sheets are a phenomenal way to keep little ones’ imaginations engaged while in an unfamiliar environment that might be a bit scary. Medical-themed sticker sheets can even serve as a helpful tool to introduce children to some basic concepts of the healthcare world. Dressing up teddy in a lab coat and stethoscope can help allay some fears or anxiety children may be experiencing. These sticker sets also transition beautifully to promotional or community event giveaways, as they can be customized with the name and address of healthcare facilities. Parades, blood drives and health fairs are the perfect spots to hand out some fun healthcare-themed stickers sporting logos and branding – high interest, yet low sugar!

Other popular uses include:

  • Hospital visitor passes
  • Tamper-evident stickers for lab specimens
  • Lab communication labels (Refrigerate, STAT, Serum, etc.)
  • IV labels
  • Maintenance inspection record labels
  • “Sterile” labels
  • Allergy notifications
  • Prescription bottle instructions or warnings
  • “I Got My Flu Shot!” stickers

Additional options that are vital in hospitals and clinics include:

  • Thermal or Direct Transfer Stocks: Print patient information on site
  • Tamper Evident Stocks: Crucial for prescriptions and medications
  • Barcoding & Consecutive Numbering: A must-have for equipment and patient identification
  • Durable Stocks and Finishes: Perfect for abrasive and harsh environments, bleach and industrial medical cleaners won’t damage these hard-working stocks and finishes!

Medical and healthcare industry labels improve the internal processes of healthcare facilities and enhance the care and experience of patients. Whether it’s a fire engine red warning sticker on equipment or medicines, or a smiling teddy bear sticker, hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes are home to many, many labels and stickers. Trust Label Works to meet the needs of your clients and customers. Contact our customer service department today at 800.522.3558 or customercare@labelworks.com to learn more about our medical and healthcare label options.

Looking for a sample back of medical and healthcare labels? Look no further. We’ve compiled a sample pack your customers can touch and feel and features popular label applications. Simply click here!

Or personalize your own sales flyer geared towards the healthcare and medical market here.

Getting Organized For Spring? 3 Things to Learn From the Planner Trend

One of the biggest trends I’ve seen since the beginning of the year is planners and bullet journals. While the planner trend is largely geared toward keeping people organized in their personal lives, this trend could also teach you a lot about staying organized in your work. Whether you keep your notes on a calendar, keep a printed checklist, have a favorite app on your phone or are hoping to take the first step in getting organized, here are three things the planner trend can teach you about keeping your work day on track.

1) Monthly, Weekly, or Daily Formats: Choose What Works For You
Whether you’re jumping into a bullet journal or just trying to keep your to-do lists on track, one of the biggest things to take from the planner trend is that you should choose the format that works best to keep you organized. Whether you want to plan on a monthly calendar so you can see longer-range plans at a glance or you prefer to plan your schedule day-by-day or even project-by-project, personalizing your plans according to your needs helps ensure that you stay on track.

When you’re working on getting organized, this might take some trial and error. You might want to make yourself a daily checklist and pin it up next to your calendar, for example. You might want to divide a notebook page in half with one side for meetings and another for important tasks. You might even keep your list on an app on your phone or on your computer. Whatever you choose, give it a week or so before deciding if it’s the right method for you.

2) Keep Your To-Do Lists and Meetings in One Place
Keeping your plans on one page is a helpful way to ensure that you don’t miss anything, and that can be a big help in your work day. Whether you keep everything in one binder like planner aficionados or simply have a designated space on your desk for your to-do list, by keeping all your daily tasks together you will be able to avoid double-booking yourself or scheduling too much in a day when you have a long sales meeting with an important customer.

And speaking of things to keep in one place…

3) Keep Notes On Hand—And Date Them!
Don’t be afraid to keep your notes in the same place as your schedule. This can make it easier for you to find your notes and it can make it easier to look back on how a project has progressed. It’s also important to date your notes so that you can reference when a note was taken—after all, it’s important to know which notes are the most up-to-date.

How do you stay organized? Do you keep a planner for your work day, or do you use another method? Join the conversation in the comments below.

The Secret to Great Customer Service: Empathy

What is the one skill that everybody in customer support must have? Whether you’ve been on the phone with a customer service representative or work in customer service yourself, empathy should be high on your list!

Empathy is putting yourself in others’ shoes and seeing a problem from their point of view, and in customer service it’s a helpful way to keep customer service interactions positive.  Empathy doesn’t mean that you have to totally agree with your customer, but being understanding of their stress and listening can make the difference between a customer service failure and a customer service success.

First and Foremost, Listen Carefully and Repeat What You’re Hearing in Your Own Words
One of the biggest reasons that customers want to have an empathetic customer service interaction is that they want to be understood. Listening and paraphrasing what you’ve heard can help them feel heard and can help ensure that you create a solution that actually addresses their need.

While you’re listening, pay close attention to the things that they aren’t saying, too. Details like tone and body language can help tell you what emotions are at play in the interaction. Mentioning those emotions—saying “I understand this is stressful for you,” for example—can also do a lot to show that you have heard and understood the way that the customer’s need has impacted them.

Stay Respectful
It’s easy for things to get heated when your customers are upset or under stress, but it’s essential to keep in mind how you would like to be treated if you had a similar customer concern. Stay as calm as you are able and express respect for your customers to keep them feeling important. You might even find that this respect helps diffuse the situation.

Make Customers a Part of the Solution
Does it sound like your customer is stressed because they aren’t in control? Make sure that they are able to play a part in the solution. For example, giving your customer two to three options to choose from can help them feel like they have an active role in the solution.

Finish By Showing That You Care
Studies have shown that people judge an experience based on the intense moments at its end. While you might not always be able to get them exactly the solution they were hoping for, you can always show that you care and help them walk away with a positive feeling about the experience. If their concern is still an issue, make sure to reiterate that you understand how they are impacted by that concern. If there’s a clear next step, remind them of it before you finish the conversation.

Is empathy a central part of how you approach a customer service interaction? How do you put empathy to work in your business? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

3 Reasons to Check Out NSP’s Architectural Signage Catalog

What’s new from Navitor Specialty Products (NSP)? We just released our architectural signage catalog featuring a variety of different signage options including new sign audit and installation services to support specialty signage projects and help make growing your signage business a breeze. Here are just three reasons to check out this new catalog.

Get Inspired
The first section of the catalog is dedicated to inspiration, showing off what your customers can do with the signage included in the catalog. This is a great way to highlight the effect that different signage options can create in a finished space. We show a photograph to highlight the look of the space and then break down the different sign options used so that your customer can take that inspiration directly into the ordering process.

Make the Process Simple
We know that, for your customers, transforming the space can be intimidating even on a good day. For 2019, we have added options for new services including sign audits and sign installation. This takes the fear out of the process of signage ordering for those customers that need it.

We’ve also included information to help guide you and your customers through the process of ensuring that signage is ADA-compliant. Not only does this signage make their facilities more accessible for individuals with disabilities, but it can also reflect their brand as beautifully as other signage.

And speaking of their signage options…

Choose From a Wide Selection of Products
NSP offers a wide variety of different products in this catalog, allowing your customers to choose from indoor and outdoor signage as well as signage tailor-made for special events. With a wide variety of stocks to choose from and many stylish shapes available, your customer can create signage that brings their brand style to every part of their facilities.

5 Ways to Use Social Media in Your Business

ways to use social media marketing to boost your personalized print businessIf you use social media in your personal life, you probably know many social media sites for the connections you make with friends and family. However, beyond those baby pictures and news articles you can also find a lot of potential to grow your business! Here are just a few ways that you can use social media to benefit your personalized print business.

1. Join In On A Weekly Hashtag To Emphasize Aspects of Your Business
One good way to keep yourself posting is to get involved in a weekly hashtag like #ThrowbackThursday. Just be sure to pick one that’s a good fit for your business. Does your print business have a long history? The aforementioned #ThrowbackThursday could be a great way to emphasize that history in a more casual way. #MotivationMonday, on the other hand, could be a great way to show off some inspiring print pieces that could motivate your customers to create something extraordinary for their business.

2. Keep Tabs on Your Competition
If your competitors are on social media, you have a unique opportunity ahead of you to keep an eye on what they’re doing. Are your competitors doing something particularly well, like handling customer service concerns in the semi-public setting of social media? Consider how you can improve your skills to better compete with them.

3. Show the More Human Side of Your Business
If you’re looking to create a more personal connection with your customers, social media can be a great way to show the human side of your business to your customers. It can help put a human face on your business whether you make posts to emphasize the employees your customers will meet at your business, use it as a chance to highlight the way your business helps out in the community, or simply interact with your customers in an informal way. This helps connect your customers emotionally with your business.

4. Create Better Customer Service
Many customer service interactions are going online, and having a social media presence allows you to create great customer service interactions in a space where those interactions could positively influence others. Just make sure you have well-prepared responses when you hit the “post” button, and if things start getting heated be ready to take things offline to talk to your customer.

5. Increase Brand Visibility
Brands large and small reach out to new customers on social media, and according to We Are Social the posts on a brand’s Facebook page reach an average of 10.7% more people than their current follower count. That’s a huge opportunity to make your business more visible!

What do you use social media for in your business? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Announcements vs. Postcards: Which Should Your Customer Use?

When your customer comes to you for help in creating a mailing for their business, they have a lot of print options to choose from. How can you help them narrow down their options to find the perfect print piece for their project? Here are a few questions to ask.

How Formal is Their Mailing?
This is probably the biggest deciding factor when your customer wants to create a piece to be mailed. Postcards are generally a more informal style of communication, which makes them a good fit for more informal events like real estate open houses or for in-store events like sales. The wide variety of stock options for your customer can create a look tailored to their mailing. ASTROBRIGHTS® papers, for example, are a great choice for energetic events or eyecatching sale promotions, while color core or extra thick stock are a good fit for adding a touch of professionalism.

Announcements, on the other hand, are a great fit for a wide variety of events—the real deciding factor is their design! They can create something colorful and casual for a fun event, or something a little more elegant for events that need additional polish. They can also use the elegant nature of an announcement to highlight the quality of new products or services that your customer is announcing.

Does Their Message Need to Make an Impact Quickly?
When your customer creates their mailing, it’s important to consider the person who will be reading that mailing. For some customers, a personalized envelope is a perfect touch of polish to a more formal communication, but it can also make that message easier to set aside and forget. This means that an announcement used for a mailing has to be chosen because it’s the right fit for your customer’s use.

Postcards, on the other hand, put nothing between the reader and the message your customer wants to get out. This makes them a good choice for communicating short and impactful messages like promotions for sales.

Are They Looking for Specialty Print?
Of course, your printed piece isn’t finished without print, and knowing your print options can also help your customer make decisions about which print product is right for them. Postcards allow your customers to get creative with their print using full color either in short or long run quantities. Full color print can be used to create simply colored minimalist images, or highlight photographs. They can also use spot color print on vibrant ASTROBRIGHTS® papers.

Announcements can be created using full color print for vibrant images, photographs, and more. They can also be printed  using spot color print for a stylish and simple announcement or a variety of specialty printing options like foil stamping or embossing that help add an elegant feel to invitations to banquets, galas, and other big events.

How do you help your customers know which print pieces are right for their next mailing? We’d love to see your tips and tricks in the comments below.

How to Write the Perfect Follow-Up Email

write the perfect follow up sales email for your personalized custom print businessMany times when you meet a new business connection, whether that person is a fellow entrepreneur or a potential customer, it can be a challenge to fit what you need to into that first conversation. You are busy, and so are they.

Enter the follow-up email!

The follow-up email is probably something that you’re already familiar with, and it’s more than merely a formality. It’s a chance to strengthen the business connection you’ve made and to move that conversation forward, so writing the perfect follow-up email is a great way to do that. Here are our steps to writing the perfect follow-up email.

Step 1: Know What You Want to Achieve
A follow-up email can help support a wide variety of different objectives, and knowing what you want to achieve is an essential starting place. Maybe you want to get more information or the answer to a question you’ve had since you last spoke. Maybe you want to arrange a meeting. Maybe you’re working to finalize a sale after your customer mentioned a purchase they wanted to make. Keep that objective in mind as you write.

Step 2: Jog Their Memory
Making sure that you and the recipient of your email are on the same page is essential, so be sure to begin your email with some context. Remind them of who you are and when you last talked, then be sure to remind them which point you are following up on. For example, if you met a prospective customer at a networking event you could say “I just wanted to touch base with you after meeting you last week at the South Central networking event …”

Be ready for them to not remember talking to you, though—and it’s okay if they don’t! If they don’t remember you, using specific details will help ensure that your follow-up doesn’t come across as a cold email technique.

Step 3: Explain Why You’re Emailing
If you had a previous conversation about a specific product in the last step, you might have already done this. If not, be sure to explain why you’re emailing. Did you discuss a product that you’re hoping to sell them? Did you mention that you would be happy to send them a digital catalog? Did they mention an upcoming brand update for which you have products to recommend? Take a moment to mention it.

Step 4: Include a Call to Action
So what’s next? Let your customer know. Ask them if they are interested in more information or whether you can schedule another conversation in the next week.

Step 5: Wrap it Up and Send!
Now that you’ve got the email written, it’s time to sign it and send it. Before you hit that “send” button, though, take a moment to read it through. You want to be sure that the email is short and to the point, and you want to make sure that it comes across as friendly and professional. After you’ve reviewed, send it their way.

How do you ensure that your follow-up emails are perfect? We’d love to see your tips and tricks in the comments below.

The Long—And Short—of Post-it® Notes Orders

When your customers think about personalized printed Post-it® Notes, they probably think about notes printed in high quantities for promotional use. However, if your customers are looking for just a few Post-it Note pads, our short run quantities could be the perfect option! With full color printing, your customers can take advantage of the same personalization potential available in larger quantities.

Why Short Run?
One of the advantages of short run Post-it® Notes is that the lower quantities open up new possibilities. Your customers can use notes for a wider variety of uses when they have a wider variety of quantities available. And for you, short run Post-it® Notes also open up new possibilities for customer connections. Because you can offer low quantities of these classic sticky notes, you can work with a wider variety of customers and expand your customer connections.

Small Quantities, Big Possibilities
The quantities on short run Post-it® Notes might be small, but the possibilities are really big! As I mentioned, smaller quantities give your customers a chance to use these notes for a wider variety of uses.

Does your customer have a smaller business? Small quantities are a great fit for them! They can create notes for their office, perfectly-sized packs of promotional Post-it® Notes, and more.

For customers looking to create a promotional item for only their top customers or for only the attendees of an event, short run quantities could be the solution. Quantities range from 6 to 120, making it easy for your customer to choose a quantity that works for their audience.

Does your customer want to create a coupon for short-term spring sales? Not only do Post-it® Notes stick securely to the receipts that accompany a purchase, small quantities make it easy for your customer to print only as many notes as they need.

If your customer is looking for a perfect Post-it® Notes gift for their employees, short run quantities allow them to easily create personalized pads. They can create branded notes with their employee’s name for work anniversaries, holiday gifts, or simply to create a more personalized notepad for sales staff looking to make a personal connection with customers.

And if your customer simply wants to create personalized Post-it® Notes for personal use, short run quantities are perfect for that, too. Not only will these quantities better suit their budget for personal use notes, but smaller quantities are a better fit for everyday personal use. With quantities as low as six available, it’s easy for your customer to create a quantity of notes that is just right for them.

Ready to place an order? You can order short run Post-it® Notes quantities through our catalog, or in full color or spot color through Navitor.com.

How do your customers use short run Post-it® Notes quantities? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.