Kristine is the lanky & super-fit step aerobics instructor at my health club. She’s fantastic. There’s a group of us “regulars” at her Tuesday class, but now and then first-timers show up.

Sometimes, they’ve taken this kind of class before. Sometimes, it’s their very first one. This week we had women I’ve never seen before, and among them was an elderly woman (as in older than me, probably in her 70s) as well as a very pregnant young woman.

What I noticed was this: Kristine changed the way she taught. She didn’t change the steps or make the class any easier (there’d have been a mutiny). She changed how she cued the class. That, my friends, made all the difference.

She gave more examples of how to modify the moves. She did more verbal cueing than normal. She paid special attention, albeit subtle, to both the older woman and the pregnant one.

In short, she adapted to her customers.

Without drawing embarrassing attention to her new students, Kristine tended to their particular situations to help them enjoy the class – and be safe.

Which leads me to you, dear print rep. Are you as adaptable? Do you know when you’re facing a customer who’s brand new to buying print vs. someone who’s done it for 10+ years?

Are you sensitive to the different needs and concerns of both types of customers? Do you speak to them using different terminology? Do you ask them questions differently?

That’s the kind of printer I’d recommend. Someone, like Kristine, who can step up (pardon the pun) to all kinds of customers and give the best

advice about reaching a personal goal – advice that’s tailored to each customer.