Do your sales reps wait for the customer to call, or are they actively looking for reasons to call clients or prospects?
We all know that printing, including packaging, signs or labels is not something prospective customers order every day. So how can your sales team be proactive in generating sales even when the customer may not have thought about buying print.
Your Mobile Phone Provider is a very good example of what I am talking about. Before your contract runs out, or if they haven’t heard from you for a while, they proactively contact you and suggest all the reasons why you should upgrade to the latest handset, review your plan and sign up even before you have thought about doing this.
If the Phone Provider didn’t do this, then many of us would still be using the same old phone, that still worked perfectly, but for the fact we were encouraged to upgrade, for all the benefits we would gain.
How does this relate to selling print? I was reminded when I came across my “Swipe File”, (the file where I keep other people’s ideas. When I was selling print, it was full of samples). What I found in my file was a booklet named “more than 444 Begged, Borrowed, Stolen & even a few Original Direct response marketing ideas”.
IDEA 2 “sell to your customers’ wants… not their needs”
It’s about selling concepts and ideas to prospective print buyers. Not waiting until they, the Customer has a need to buy.
Here’s where those samples from your Swipe file come in handy. Something a potential customer had not thought about for their business. An idea that has worked for a similar type of customer or even a successful piece that their competitor is using. (It didn’t have to be you that printed it). Your customer will appreciate you presenting ideas that can benefit their business, not just yours.
It may also take pricing out of the decision-making process.
If you would like to have a one-on-one conversation with me about my experience in print sales, give me a call. No strings attached!