Unpopular Print Products? Here’s How to Sell Them

Some print products just don’t seem to get orders. Retail stores often just remove the product from their selection, but for printers, it’s tricky. You may have already invested in printing equipment for these products. You want to earn back that investment, so removing those unpopular print products won’t help.

In the future, we recommend testing out new products with a trade printer like SinaLite before you invest, but in the meantime, here are 9 ways to get more orders for unpopular print products.

1. Cross-Sell

Cross-selling is when you sell an additional product to a customer who already intends to buy something. Think about which products would go well with the unpopular one. For example, suggest clients order printed envelopes with their greeting cards, or offer door hangers to political candidates when they order yard signs for their door-to-door campaigns.

Ideally you’ll want to create packages of products that go well together, which contain that unpopular print product you’re hoping to sell.

2. Reframe It

Reframing changes the way your customers think about a product. Try putting your most unpopular product in a new category or showing how it solves a different need. An example would be moving banners from the “signage” category into a new category called “event printing” or “trade shows”.

Reframing can be used for pricing too. Instead of advertising a failing product as cheap and unwanted, reframe it as a rare luxury product that fulfills a niche need.

3. Increase Traffic

You can play the numbers game: the more your product is seen, the more likely it will be ordered (given that other factors remain the same). You can start with increasing traffic to your website. Improve your SEO strategy, or start one if you haven’t yet. Post on social media about this product and use ads if your budget allows. Make sure your product is clearly visible on your website and in your shop. It might simply be that people don’t order it because they don’t know that you offer it!

4. Improve Visuals

You want even your most unpopular products to look their best. Use high resolution images and make sure your website looks organized. In addition, you might want to link to your unpopular print products from your more popular ones, so that you can cross-sell them.

Use visual merchandising strategies to make your shop look welcoming and display your products in an organized way. An appealing storefront helps increase traffic too!

5. Target the Right Audience

The right audience exists for even your most unpopular print product—you just haven’t found them yet. Start with some market research on who would need this product most.

Tent cards, for example, are a niche print product. To find clients for them, you might want to take them to local restaurants and pubs to show them that they’re a great choice for displaying their special-of-the-day. Even if they don’t need anything printed right now, they’ll have your contact information for the future.

6. Introduce a New Specification

The issue might not lie with the product itself but with the specifications that you currently offer. Try offering a different size, a new coating, a different quantity, or something else that your clients might want. If you’re not sure what they want, you can ask simply ask them for feedback. Then let your clients know through your campaigns, whether it’s through email, direct mail, phone calls, or in-store interaction.

7. Make Ordering Easier

To make ordering easier, you’ll need to remove potential obstacles that hinder your clients from ordering that product. Obstacles can be tangible, like difficulty arranging for pickup or finding information on your website. They can also be intangible, like long quote wait times or the fear of all the things that could go wrong. Sometimes the issue could simply be that there’s too much information, or too little. Remove these obstacles and let your clients know that it’s now easier than ever to order that product.

8. Use Samples

Showing is more effective than telling. With print, your clients will likely want to feel the stock and coating before they place an order. Showcase your unpopular print product physically in your shop, or print a bunch of them and slip a sample into each order that you send out.

This also activates the Endowment Effect. This is when people ascribe more value to things that they feel like they own. That means owning a sample of that unpopular product makes them feel like it’s more valuable.

9. Hold a Sale

When all else fails, lowering the cost or using a promotional offer is the famous last step. See the lost profit as the price you’re willing to pay to get more data on your customers. You’re “buying” information about what they’re willing to pay for this particular product. Create a sense of urgency through limited offers, and of course, make sure you communicate the special offer to clients with all the marketing tactics in your book.

Do you have other strategies to sell unpopular print products? Share them with us by commenting below, and don’t forget to subscribe to Printer Success.