What once defined success for most printers was how close their operations were to the customer, how many shifts they ran, their equipment list, and the strength of their relationships with the sales team. Well, these may be good reasons for customers to stay, I’m not convinced that these are enough good reasons to attract new customers.
Buyers expect faster responses and the ability to connect with their workflows to make doing business easier. They’re looking for strategic insight to help them maximize their print spend and to make them more effective and, in many cases, the ability to execute across multiple channels.
And why are they looking for all of this? I believe it’s because they are either trying to attract new customers, keep the ones they have, or disseminate information that’s important to their audience. I believe those three areas are the main reasons people print things. Don’t overcomplicate things.
So, what does that mean if you’re a sales rep charged with filling that new 8-C press? To take a page out of Jordan Belfort’s story, don’t sell the pen. Sell what the pen does. Stop selling printing and start selling what print does for your customer. Being interested in what your customers or prospects are trying to accomplish can go a long way. Being interesting, can help keep the conversations going.
Read this full article on Printing Impressions, a publication of PRINTING United Alliance, ASI’s strategic partner.
