Hey, Michael, welcome to this week’s post.  What up, Anna?  How’s it going, Malik?

We’re guessing that if your parents didn’t opt to name you Michael, Anna, or Malik, you’re feeling a teeny bit left out right now, but those of you who do answer to those names are feeling happy and hooked in enough to wonder where we’re going with this.

Variable data printing gives you the chance to put a personal spin on documents you might need to print so that the recipient gets a finished product that is customized especially for him/her.  In its most basic form, it’s like a simple mail merge on any word processor, giving you the opportunity to set up “blanks” within your document that can be filled in with the names, addresses, and other pertinent info of the members of your client list.  So the Michaels and Maliks of the world can each open up a letter from you and see that it is addressed directly to him.

The fun doesn’t end there, though.  With variable data printing, you can not only personalize a document by incorporating basic data but also – and here’s the key – selectively including certain graphics, specific content, or a special layout.  This way, in addition to the fuzzy feeling your recipient will get from seeing his own name, he’ll also be seeing information that was designed to align with his unique needs as your client.

So if you know, for example, your client runs a dog grooming business, you can highlight services that you can provide that would be especially pertinent to the dog groomers of the world.  Heck, you could even put a random picture of a golden retriever in your brochure if you thought it would help you land the sale.  The point is, the dog groomer recipient would have different content and graphics from, say, the fried dough vendor to whom you are also sending a brochure. And both of them can see the aspects of your company that would best suit their own needs.

Isn’t that right, Phyllis?