Graphic Media Alliance

Complete Story
 

06/04/2025

The Non-Sales Sales Factor

Source: Bill Farquharson, June 2, 2025

BillF

I had a fascinating conversation with a selling owner the other day. He was interested in growing his sales and wanted to talk to me about how I could help.

One of his first comments was, “I'm no salesperson. I'm not very good at it, anyway.” As he tried to keep talking, I cut him off with: “What are you talking about? I researched your company prior to this call. You have 38 five-star Google reviews. You must have earned them somehow.” I asked him if he knew why people buy from him and he said he did: “People tell us we return phone calls promptly whereas the competition can take up to a week. People like our response time, especially when it comes to getting a price. Our clients appreciate our curiosity and willingness to offer up different ideas…

… But none of that is sales and that's what I need help with.”

There are a few lessons here to cover in this short attention span sales tip. First, if you don't know why people buy from you, ask. This is incredibly important, completely free, and something you can emphasize in future sales conversations.

Second, don't be surprised if the answer they give you isn't complicated. In fact, it's just the opposite: it's incredibly simple things like returning phone calls and turning around quotes and offering up new ideas and showing appreciation and acting more like a friend than a vendor and 1000 other reasons you would not consider to be sales related.

But they absolutely are.

When most people think of sales or a sales process, they conjure up cold calling and closing techniques and they get anxious thinking about interrupting someone else's day with a sales call. Some of that is true, but don't overlook the obvious... the simple... the “non-sales” factors that can matter more because they show up less.

Watch Bill present this week's sales tip


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:

  • NEW: Replays—Insider exclusive recordings of Office Hours sales discussions
  • Downloadable prospecting letters
  • One killer-good intro letter only the bravest of the brave send out
  • A downloadable voicemail script
  • 15 on-demand video sales courses
  • Archived sales content searchable by sales challenge

Check out the Sales Vault!

Printer-Friendly Version



Developing the Next Generation of Leaders Starts Now

Registration is now open for the Emerging Leaders Academy! This new, industry-focused leadership development program is designed to help print and graphic communications companies build confident, capable leaders through practice and real-world training. Built from direct input from our members, this program addresses the challenges you’re facing today—from workforce development to performance and leadership readiness.

Read More

U.S. Postal Service Recommends New Prices for July

The U.S. Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission of mailing services price changes to take effect on July 12. The new rates include a 4-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 78 cents to 82 cents.

Read More

How to Measure What Matters in Print Business Growth

Print business owners need to know if they are measuring the right things to gauge company growth. How do you measure what matters? The short answer is that you need to know your goals, understand what success looks like in tangible terms, and build companywide improvement programs that bring everyone together.

Read More

Power Tool Safety at Work: Protecting People, Productivity and Property

Power tools play an essential role in many industries, including construction, manufacturing and maintenance. Even though these tools increase efficiency, they also introduce risks when not used properly. So, it is important that employers create a strong culture of power tool safety to ensure a safe workplace.

Read More

Will Your Workers Walk Out on May 1?

A coalition of activist and labor groups is calling for a nationwide “no work, no school, no shopping” action on May 1 (International Workers’ Day) framed by some organizers as a general strike. Whether it reaches that scale remains to be seen. What employers need to know right now, however, is that you have certain rights and responsibilities when it comes to potential protest-related work stoppages, and these obligations turn on some nuances that you should be familiar with.

Read More

Why Your Sales Conversations Die

If you are the parent of a teen or older, you know sometimes kids don't want a solution. They want a sympathetic ear. Why would sales be any different? In this week's Short Attention Span Sales Tip, father-stepfather-of-six-YES-six-girls, Bill Farquharson shares his expertise on how to get from problem to sale.

Read More