Always a buyer, never a seller of print – that’s me. I really don’t think I could get hired to sell printing – I’m not fluent in print manufacturing. If nothing else, a print salesperson must know how commercial printing is made. That’s the least I’d expect from a rep who came knocking on my door.

Over the years while I was a print buyer, I counted on my reps to guide me, educate me, steer me toward success and away from a printing disaster. They were my eyes and ears at the printing plant and in the graphic arts community at large. They shared local industry news, invited me to paper shows (those were the days!), stood by my side at press OKs, and made recommendations about paper, inks, finishes, packaging, and shipping. They were the experts. I relied on them and trusted them.

I’m sure I’m missing the heart and soul of training protocol, but if I had the chance to train sales reps, here’s what I’d focus on:

1. Think like a customer. I’d talk about what buyers, designers and marketers are going through in 2014 and what they’re looking for in their printers.
2. Do your homework. Don’t ever do such a cold call that you haven’t searched for a prospect on Google and LinkedIn, looked at the company’s web site, and come up with a good grasp of what materials and services a particular company or organization might need.
3. Customers are all different. Some have decades of experience; some have none. Some are print buyers, full stop. Most have other responsibilities. Some are graphic designers and others are marketers. Don’t assume anything about a prospect. Get to know them individually.
4. Listen more than you talk. It was a salesman named Duncan who taught me this. One of the least attractive sales tactics is when a salesman launches into his or her pitch, doesn’t come up for air, and is hell bent on leaving your office with a job. That doesn’t work.
   

   Just listen.

5. Ask prospects and customers what they’re looking for. See #3. Everyone will be different. To some, low price rules. To others, speed matters most, or the latest technologies. It all depends on the individual.
6. Acknowledge the preconceptions that customers have. There’s a ton of misinformation about the printing industry floating around, and I’d spend time discussing this with the reps.
7. Be available. When you begin working with a customer, he or she will expect you to be available by email, phone, even texts. Respond quickly.
8. Introduce your CSR personally. If your CSR will be doing most of the client work, your customers need to know this person. Customers don’t expect you to do all of it yourself, and a strong team is a strong asset. Work it.
9. Be transparent. Customers need to trust you. Should they find out you’ve been hiding something related to their account or keeping something significant (and relevant) from them, the relationship will be over.
10. Keep in touch. Don’t disappear from their radar once a job is delivered. Keeping in touch occasionally is smart, unless you’re told otherwise. This doesn’t mean that you only get in touch with the intent of selling; share something relevant, interesting, and potentially important to your customers.
11. Bring them new ideas. Never forget you’re the manufacturing expert. Share samples of great stuff you’ve produced for other clients, or email them links about new applications or technologies that could benefit them.
12. Be social. Even if you don’t use social media for business, you have to keep up with the popular sites and tools. You don’t want to be seen as stuck in the past. Find out if and how your customers are using social media for business.
13. Offer to give a plant tour. It’s hard to get customers out of the office, but you should extend this offer. It will open up the dialogue between you and give them more education about your company.
14. Visit major portals like PIworld.com and Whattheythink.com daily. Your professional education is an ongoing one. Hopefully, you have access to trade publications at your company. You can always access most of them online as well.
15. Check out your local direct marketing associations. Lots of marketers are directly connected to print campaigns and have decision-making responsibility for choosing print. Familiarize yourself with local trade groups. Are there events you should attend? Should you (or your company) join a group and become active?
16. Remind yourself that customers need to know about all you offer. Even if a customer’s only ordered one product type from you before, you need to keep customers informed of all you can do.
17. Don’t let them see you sweat. Salespeople are part actors. We customers like to believe you have it all under control, even if you don’t. Exude confidence and poise. Be positive.
18. Be a person of integrity. It’s the #1 quality customers seek in a print rep. If we find you’ve been dishonest, you’re history. Plus, we’ll tell our friends.
    

    Be honest like Abe.

19. Do what you say you’ll do. This is all about professionalism. You’ll gain customers’ trust and develop a business relationship that will help your career.
20. Become a resource for other things. Customers appreciate sales reps who help them in other ways. Maybe they need things like graphic design or web site development, copywriting or video services – and you don’t offer them. You probably have referrals to give them. Be generous in this way; it will help you in the long run.
21. Follow up to bids you don’t win. Find out why you lost a job; it may not always be obvious. If nothing else, it shows you’re interested.
22. Keep an eye on the competition. Who do you lose work to, and why? What do they have that you don’t? In what ways do they outperform you and vice versa?
23. Ask customers what they expect. Keep notes. Everyone will have a slightly different answer. Let them know you’re paying attention. This isn’t a “once and done” conversation. It should be ongoing.

A rep is the face of the company. The relationship between a sales rep and a customer is more important than anything else. Start off strong by listening to every new customer. What makes them unique? How can you serve their account so that they’ll never want to leave you? It’s about what they need, not about what you need to sell them.

©2014 Margie Dana. All rights reserved.