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thINK is pleased to announce the thINK Ahead keynote speaker and additional new inkjet resources. All in the May E-Newsletter ! …

Achieving higher prices and defending them starts with one essential element: value. If you’re struggling with pricing but your print quality is inconsistent, your turnaround times are unreliable, or your customer service is lacking, pricing isn’t your real problem. Fix those first. But if you provide high-quality, high-speed, variable-data-driven inkjet printing that delivers superior results, how do you defend your pricing against a barrage of price objections from customers? How do you hold firm when customers say, “Your price is too high,” or “We can get this cheaper elsewhere” ?   How do you hold the line in the face of constant feedback from customers that your prices are too high?  The answer is a simple formula: Messaging + Preparation = Confidence Messaging: What’s Your Value Story? Your ability to hold the line on price starts with a clear and compelling message about why your production inkjet print services are worth a premium. You need answers ready for: “Why are you more …

I can make a room full of business owners change their minds about their pricing power with a simple game that takes two minutes. First, I ask, “What’s the current price for a gallon of gas?”  Every time, they all come within a few pennies of the right answer. Everyone knows the price of gasoline. Then, I ask a second question: “What’s the current price for a bottle of hot sauce?”  This time, no one answers. Their silence begs another question: “Who cares?” And that’s the point. The price of hot sauce doesn’t make any difference. It’s beneath our notice. When pressed, the average guess is three times the actual price of hot sauce. Why do we know so much about the price of gas and so little about the price of hot sauce? Because we buy gas all the time. We drive past a dozen gas stations per day advertising the price. Gas prices impact personal budgets, daily commutes, and even the news cycle. When gas prices move, we all notice. But hot sauce? If the price of hot sauce goes up, no one …

When a customer tells you, “We went with another print provider because your price was too high,” what do you do?  Too many sellers drop their chin, kick the dirt, and lose even more pricing confidence. But here’s the truth: that moment is a goldmine of insight. Most sellers miss the chance to mine it. Recently, a client in the inkjet printing space shared with me that they’re facing a lot more competitive pressure in the past couple of months. They’ve been hearing “no” more, and they’ve been hearing that their “price is too high” more.  When I asked him if they’ve seen a drop in their win rate, he didn’t know.  (Are they paying more attention to the “no” more or are they truly hearing “no” more?  Is this the negativity bias at work?) If they really are hearing “no” more, we need to ask: Is price really the issue or is it just the easiest excuse? Customers indicate price as the reason for choosing a competitor as the easy way out.  It’s more expedient and more polite than telling you …

Let's be honest… print isn't what it used to be. It's better! In the past decade, we've seen inkjet technology evolve from a novelty to a powerhouse, now rivaling offset in quality, speed, and application diversity. But just as we’ve hit our stride with inkjet, another transformative force is knocking at the door: artificial intelligence (AI). When you combine the two, the real magic happens. Whether you're running a print shop or managing client campaigns, it's time to ask: Are we ready for the next leap forward? AI: The Brainpower Behind the Ink First, let's give Inkjet the recognition it deserves. Today's production inkjet presses are designed to meet modern market demands, including shorter runs, tighter turnarounds, personalization, and consistent quality across jobs. These presses are faster to set up, require less maintenance, and can handle a variety of substrates without sacrificing image fidelity. What used to be a conversation about "cost per piece" has shifted to a …