Author: Sawgrass

Growing Sublimation Sales with Spec Samples

blog2What is more likely to influence your purchase decision at the grocery store? A picture of a bread loaf or the actual loaf? As a savvy consumer, you will want to examine your potential purchase for quality before committing any of your hard-earned money.

The same holds true when you’re trying to sell your sublimated goods. The allure of sublimation is in the outstanding print quality it produces. That can’t be captured in a catalog or Web image. Potential customers need to see and feel the product to determine whether it’s right for them – and that you’re the right one to make it.

This is where spec samples come into play. A spec sample is a pre-made version of a particular product that you use to show a customer, client or prospect what that product could look like with their customization added. They can touch the item, test its quality and see just how amazing sublimation looks on a finished product.

Providing spec samples helps you to drive excitement in both existing and potential customers, which you can then turn into sublimation sales. It just takes some creativity and good sales strategy. Continue reading “Growing Sublimation Sales with Spec Samples”

Taxes Are Not An Afterthought – 2013 Is Too Late For 2012 Decisions

It’s November and chances are that the last thing on your mind is taxes.  After all, April 15th is a long way off and Holiday production season is ramping up now.  But that can be a serious business mistake, as the last day for making strategic 2012 tax decisions is pretty much 12/31/12 and considering that its New Year’s Eve,  in all likelihood it will be too late.  A great example is the Section 179 deduction. Depending on your tax bracket, buying a new sublimation system now could be like getting a 35% discount!  How does it work?

In basic terms, rather than depreciating your new system purchase over 5 years, Section 179 of the Tax Code allows you to deduct 100% of any qualified equipment purchases in the tax year in which it was purchased.  In other words, if you bought a new printer that cost $1000 (before the end of the year) you could deduct the entire amount on your 2012 taxes, which would then reduce the amount of your taxable income.  And it’s not limited to one purchase!  So, strategy-wise, if you were seriously considering some new equipment purchases after the first of the year, you might actually be better off to consider closing the deal during the waning months of 2012. Continue reading “Taxes Are Not An Afterthought – 2013 Is Too Late For 2012 Decisions”

Is Your Sales Strategy Proactive or Reactive?

by Jimmy Lamb of Sawgrass Ink

Do you wait for customers to contact you or do you go find them? Many B2B sales organizations in retail locations make the mistake having a sales strategy of waiting on new business to walk through the door (reactive strategy), rather than pursing opportunities outside their walls (proactive strategy).

Getting your “feet on the street” can yield significant gains in sales revenue as it greatly expands your marketing reach with very little investment. One of the most successful strategies is to incorporate promotional products into your menu of printed media products in order to satisfy a wider range of needs for your prospective clients. Continue reading “Is Your Sales Strategy Proactive or Reactive?”