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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:
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