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Complete Story
04/09/2024
The Digital Print Sale
Source: Bill Farquharson, The Sales Vault, April 8, 2024
Digital print is looking for…you?
A couple of weeks ago, I attended the HP Indigo users group conference in Indianapolis. The event is called, Dscoop.
In addition to the presentations that Kelly Mallozzi and I were leading and moderating, there was a large hall filled with equipment. Print, label, and packaging samples were everywhere and were mind-blowing in their complexity and beauty.
As I walked around, checking out the various examples of what is possible, one thought hit me over and over again:
None of this matters.
Now, if you are a Dscoop committee member and you’re ready to vehemently object, allow me to continue my thought:
None of this matters…without a creative sale made by a solutions-based sales rep.
I started selling digital printing in the early 90s. Back then, it was called “on-demand.” The technology was brand new and available only in black and white. For hundreds of years, there was only one way to produce a printed piece. Suddenly, customers had the opportunity to print for today’s needs, to make frequent changes, and to completely rethink the way they approached printed matter.
You’d think it was a slam dunk. You would think people would line up to take advantage of this new option.
You could not be more wrong.
As a sales rep, I had to convince my clients it was in their best interest to spend considerably more per piece in order to gain the benefits of on demand/digital printing. I had to learn the story behind the piece and then get the client to understand, appreciate, and buy into a whole new way of thinking.
Fast forward 30 plus years and that same challenge is out there, for anyone willing to step up.
Making a digital print sale requires a high level of curiosity, patience, storytelling, and salesmanship. The equipment available today is capable of creating truly jaw-dropping solutions.
The samples scattered throughout Dscoop represent the finish line. They are the result of the work a sales rep does; a sales rep willing to put in the time and energy to create something truly special.
The best part of sales in the graphic arts happens when someone brings a new idea to an existing business need.
Are you that someone?
The Sales Vault, created by Bill Farquharson, is a subscription-based resource and sales community featuring a calendar packed with live workshops, on-demand sales courses, peer-to-peer discussion groups, and 35+ years of sales training content all searchable by sales challenge. Think of it as a sales conference where the seminars and workshops, full of instantly applicable ideas, are ongoing and more programs are added constantly.
The Sales Vault is available on a monthly subscription basis, normally at a no-brainer monthly price of $45/participant, but… GMA members can take advantage of an exclusive offer: FREE membership for 30 days followed by a discounted monthly subscription price of just $40/participant.
Bill has been a friend of GMA for many years and is, no doubt, known to our members as a top sales trainer and content creator for the graphic arts.
Other Vault resources:
Add-Jet Technologies Webinar
Join GMA and Add-Jet Technologies for a webinar to discuss the services they provide and what they can do for GMA members.
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Join Debbie Nicholson and Americas Printing Association Network for a Brief on Women in Print on May 23.
Read MoreDetroit Postal Customer Council Summer Picnic
Register today to enjoy an evening at the ballpark with the Detroit Postal Customer Council on June 7!
Read MoreFeds Ban Non-Compete Agreements: A 5-Step Plan for Employers
The federal government took an unprecedented step by finalizing a rule that seeks to ban non-competition agreements between nearly all employers and all workers. While the rule is not slated to take effect until August and is already being challenged in court — which could derail it or kill it altogether — you may not want to wait to start preparing. Here is an overview of the final rule and a five-step plan for you to consider.
Read MoreGetting Along with Non-Sales Bosses
Learning to communicate with all personality types is a requirement of the job of sales. That skill pays additional benefits when building relationships with a manager or company president who has never been in sales. In this week’s Short Attention Span Sales Tip, Bill Farquharson shares some ideas on how to apply selling skills typically used on clients internally.
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