Get the Management You Need as a Printing Industry Salesperson

Good morning!

As any parent will tell you, children do not come with users manuals. But wouldn’t it be helpful if they did? This way, we would know exactly how to communicate with them, handle their requests, and troubleshoot when things go wrong.

Salespeople are like this, too.

When I went to work for the NAPL many years ago, I was told I would be reporting to Mike Philie. To help Mike out to make sure I got the proper management, I called him to go over the best ways to communicate with me. In short, I was helping him help me.

I told him things like:

• Don’t tell me what to do. I will do the opposite.
• If you want me to do something, tell me I can’t do it.
• And more seriously, let’s meet once a week to discuss the past week and the week to come.

Salespeople at all levels need support, guidance, and some level of management. A sales team consisting of 10 reps might very well result in 10 different plans.

What’s yours? What do you need, and have you made it known to those who could be of help?

Perhaps you are flying solo as either a selling owner or lone outside sales rep. Sales resources which cover best case practices and ideas for overcoming sales challenges would help.

If you have been selling for decades and find yourself in maintenance mode (read: cruise control), you might benefit from a source for motivation.

Maybe you work from home as either an inside or outside rep and need to feel part of a community in order to better handle the unique pains of the job.

At the same time, you can help them do their job by asking, "What do you want to know? How can I help you know I am doing my job?"

If you have a sales manager now, you can help them to help you by clearly communicating your needs. Teach them how to talk to you in a way you can hear them. You might not get what you want, but the seeds will still be planted.

As for you managers who are reading this, I urge you not to treat every salesperson the same. Second, do not assume the legacy/successful salespeople require none of your time.

And in all cases — salespeople and managers — remember:

This is just another selling situation where the rules of Dale Carnegie apply: “You can get what you want when you figure out what the other person wants and help them to get it.”

Every sales challenge you’re facing has been solved by someone else. Find ideas, inspiration, and continuous sales growth through The Sales Vault community. For more information, go to SalesVault.pro. I can be reached at 781-934-7036 or bill@salesvault.pro.