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Velvet Business Cards Let Customers Feel Your Quality

Posted: 26 Mar 2014 09:27 AM PDT

Try our new 15-point velvet paper stock. It’s as smooth as chocolate.

You probably put a lot of thought into your business card design, but how much consideration do you give to your business card stock? If you want to motivate customers to buy, the answer should be "a lot." The reason is because the feel of your business card can have a dramatic effect on how customers perceive you, your brand, and your products and services. In fact, recent studies demonstrate that sensory marketing, or, in this case, tactile marketing, can play a tremendous role in the decision-making process. Softer, heavier "touches" motivate customers to buy – which is why 15-point velvet cover might just be the perfect business card paper stock. In a sense, it lets your customers feel your quality.

Consider the findings reported by Lawrence Williams and Joshua Ackerman in their Harvard Business Review article, "Please Touch the Merchandise:”

A study found that people who sat in soft chairs versus hard chairs were willing to offer 28 percent more for automobiles, suggesting that people are more susceptible to persuasive influences when they touch soft objects
Another study found that interviewers believed job candidates to be more serious when they conducted interviews while holding heavier clipboards, suggesting that weight makes people seem better qualified even when that weight has nothing to do with a given person
Yet another study found that those who drank water from a heavy vessel versus a flimsy cup believed the water that came from the heavy vessel was of greater quality (it was not), suggesting that weight makes things seem more valuable

The article cites several more examples in which touch directly influences decision-making and outcomes. The value in knowing this information is being able to apply it to marketing materials; here, business cards. With a soft, smooth, velvety finish and heavy weight, 15-point velvet cover paper stock has all desired tactile attributes associated with positive persuasion.

Everything else being equal, 15-point velvet business cards can help customers perceive you as being a more serious, friendly and helpful professional. It can also help customers perceive your products and services as being higher quality and of greater value than your competitors'. For such a low investment, it makes sense for any serious business professional to print business cards on 15-point velvet cover stock.

The role of touch in marketing is just beginning to be understood, but it's already being employed by many companies to more effectively promote their products. As the referenced article points out, Apple stores have hands-on display models to take advantage of the role of touch in marketing; in addition, car manufacturers often add dampeners to doors to make them feel heavier when closed in order to suggest quality construction.

I highly recommend you read the Williams and Ackerman article as well as this interview with Michigan Ross School of Business' Marketing Professor Aradhna Krishna. The two articles will help you more fully understand the dramatic impact tactile marketing can have for influencing customer decision-making. Then, consider whether your business cards simply look good, or whether they also feel good. If they don't, it might be time to switch to a softer, heavier touch.

The post Velvet Business Cards Let Customers Feel Your Quality appeared first on PsPrint Blog.

5 Ways to Enhance the Employee Experience

Posted: 26 Mar 2014 04:50 AM PDT

More vacation time is an excellent employee perk.

Successful businesses are wrought from the hands of great employees. When you have outstanding employees – the kind of people who love their jobs, love serving your customers, and are darn good at it to boot – you can be confident knowing your business is headed in the right direction. Great employees empower you to trust that your business will operate smoothly when you're not there, and free you to delegate tasks while focusing on business growth.

One of the biggest issues small businesses face is retaining talented employees: When you can't compete in terms of wages and benefits, how can you attract and retain the best employees in your field? The good news is that study after study demonstrates that most employees are more motivated by their work experience than by wages, and it's far easier for small businesses to implement an innovate employee culture that fosters talent retention. Here are five ways to enhance the employee experience this year.

1. Empower employees to make decisions and innovate

Give employees more control by empowering them to make decisions without your hand-holding, and give employees plenty of opportunities to innovate new ideas. Chances are your employees know your customers better than you do, and they are definitely in the best position to gauge the efficiency of your customer interactions. Encourage employees to present new ideas for serious consideration; when you implement an idea, put the employee behind in charge of managing it. Empowering your employees lends a sense of ownership in your business, and gives them a vested interest in helping you succeed. It will also make your employees happier.

2. Flexible scheduling and more vacation time

These might be the greatest perks you can offer in lieu of greater wages and benefits. One innovative model eliminates the concept of hourly work and places every employee on set wages; employees are assigned to projects and then are largely free to complete related tasks on whatever time schedule works best for them. Liberal vacation time means happier and hungrier employees, and makes it easier to attract and retain talent. Extended weekends and the ability to work from home are also ways you can be more flexible and foster a happy working environment.

3. Recognition and rewards

Recognize a job well-done, celebrate career milestones and give performance-based rewards. When employees feel appreciated, they'll want to continue working for you. Rewards don't have to be expensive: a paid half day off, a gas card or reservations at a new hot restaurant can be incredibly meaningful – especially if your rewards match your individual employees' interests.

4. Breaks in routines

No matter how much someone loves their job, doing the same exact thing day in and day out can take its toll. Seek opportunities to break routines for your employees. One way to do this is to assign team members to specific projects that will help your business grow outside of the day-to-day work routine.

5. Team building events, minus the team building

Too many companies try to take employees on team-building outings, complete with challenges, games and tasks that no one really wants to do. Instead, treat your employees to a stress-free dinner, trip to the local pub or tickets to a concert. If your community hosts a popular festival, reserve a table just for your employees and their families – and don't expect them to do anything but have a great time. In this manner, you can foster natural team building, which lends itself to a more productive office environment.

How else can you enhance the employee experience this year?

The post 5 Ways to Enhance the Employee Experience appeared first on PsPrint Blog.

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Kamis, 27 Maret 2014