“How do you talk to strangers? You don’t. You turn them into friends first.” – Dexter Yager
In sales—especially in industries like print distribution, where labels and business forms are often seen as commodities—this quote holds more truth than ever. Too often, salespeople approach prospects like transactions instead of relationships. But people buy from people, especially those they trust, and trust doesn’t start with a quote. It starts with connection.
Build the Relationship Before the Sale
If you’re cold calling labels or business forms, chances are your prospect already has a supplier. Why should they listen to you? Not because your substrates are fundamentally different or your forms are a few cents cheaper. They’ll listen because you took the time to understand their business and troubleshoot their pain points.
Start by asking questions like:
· What kind of environments do your labels or forms need to withstand? (e.g., heat, cold, moisture, abrasion)
· How long do your labels need to last in the field or on the product?
· Are there any compliance requirements (like UL, BS5609, FDA, or GHS)?estions like:
With these questions, you’re not pitching. You’re learning. That’s the first step in turning a stranger into a friend.
For example, a distributor enters a casual conversation with a prospect about upcoming product launches that leads to a suggestion about changing the barcode placement on their packaging. This becomes the impetus for the prospect to redesign and improve the functionality of their labels . . . even before a quote is requested. That’s the kind of investment in relationship that a prospect remembers!
Once you’ve built rapport and understand how they are using their products, you can gently pivot to explore potential friction points:
· Are they experiencing recurring issues with turnaround times, backorders, or inventory management?
· Have there been any mishaps? Are labels detaching? Have they experienced any legibility or scanning problems?
· Are they introducing new products with performance requirements they aren’t sure their current supplier can meet?
Be Helpful, Not Pushy
Once you’ve opened the dialog, continue to build the conversation. Drop off a helpful article. Share a tip about avoiding smearing on cold-chain packaging. Offer a free sample run of a serialized barcode label on the material you think they’ll actually use. In short, offer value first. Tailor your outreach based on what they’ve told you.
Print buyers remember the distributors who help them solve real-world problems, not the ones who just follow up with pricing sheets.
Relationship Makes You Sticky
All of these steps build trust, and trust builds stickiness. Once a customer sees you not as a vendor but as a partner and an ally, they’re more likely to draw you into the process early when they’re launching a new product or expanding into a new market. They are more likely to recommend you to others in their network. And they are less likely to switch to a competitor based on price.
Relationship isn’t just good for rapport. It’s good for business.
The Takeaway
The next time you’re reaching out to a new potential customer, remember Dexter Yager’s words. Don’t rush into a sales pitch. Lead with curiosity. Follow through with integrity. Because in print sales, as in life, you don’t talk to strangers. You turn them into friends first.
Bob Saunders is VP Sales of Wise, Alpharetta, GA. Wise manufacturers industrial/prime labels and tags, traditional forms, and digitally printed products and services for resale only.For more information, visit www.wbf.com or email Bob at [email protected].
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