EDITOR'S NOTE: Many readers have written us to inquire about the creative process behind Harris DeWese's zany columns in our magazine. The source of Harris' inspiration is a mystery to us. We do know that the fool has a monthly creative meeting with his alter ego, The Mañana Man. We share your curiosity, so we tape recorded the pathetic "creative meeting" between DeWese and The Mañana Man that led to the column that follows.
Audio Transcription:
DeWese is heard muttering to himself, "He was supposed to be here an hour ago. He's late for every creative meeting every month."
DeWese: Oh, there you are. Take off that silly sombrero and sit down. We've got a lot of work to do. I'd like to write a good column for a change. By the way, where have you been?
Mañana Man: It's Cinco de Mayo. We've been celebrating with a little tequila. I only came down here to borrow 20 bucks.
DeWese: Oh yeah? If you can tell me what Cinco de Mayo commemorates and give me a topic for this column, then I'll give you 20 bucks.
Mañana Man: Cinco de Mayo is the date we ran the French out of Mexico. That rotten Napoleon III was trying to capture our homeland. Get your own column topic. I'm tired of carrying you month after month. Gimme 20 bucks!
DeWese: You carrying me? You haven't come up with a topic for a column since 1994, and I'm still getting hate letters for that one.
Mañana Man: Gimme 20 bucks.
DeWese: You are of no help. I'll do this myself. I can go out on the street and ask complete strangers who will give me better topics than you can dream up.
Editor: At this point DeWese stormed out of the room and was last seen approaching strangers on Broad Street in downtown Philadelphia. So much for our learning anything about the creative process.
HELLO READERS. This is my 206th column for Printing Impressions. Gee it's difficult to come up with a topic month after month. Each month, about two weeks before my deadline, I work myself into a creative euphoria. It's kind of like being in a trance. Miraculously, a topic will appear in my head. I then dutifully write the column immediately and submit it to my editor to make certain that I'm on time and not causing him problems like all the other columnists. You have to pay a price for my kind of quality writing. Gosh I'm a good person.
This month I decided it would be informative to walk up to print buyers on the street and ask them for column topics. You may ask, "How do you spot a print buyer on the street?" There's an easy answer: They are the people who are walking a print salesperson on a leash.
The idea is that the print buyers supply a topic and then I expand on it with my infinite wisdom.
I found a 30-something female print buyer who thought for a moment and said, "Tell your readers that persistence pays. Ask for the order in a nice way, but use a direct approach. And—one more thing—very few print salespeople ever ask me why they didn't get an order. It's not always price, you know."
Wow! This is going great. This woman gave me about four great topics.
Persistence is basic to getting an account. I'll take unimaginative persistence if I can't get creative persistence. At least boring persistence proves to the buyer that you aren't going anywhere and that you possess determination. Creative persistence, however, keeps a salesperson in the forefront of prospects' minds in innovative and fun ways. Innovation requires planning and searching for communications that remind the customer of your competencies and your company's excellence.
I will never forget the graphic arts salesman who excitedly told me he had landed a major, multi-million-dollar pharmaceutical account. When I asked him how he got it, he answered, "I called on them for 17 years."
The woman on the street had a second point about asking for the order. It is simply too easy and a lazy salesperson's copout to just e-mail or fax a quote to a print buyer and then hope for the best. You will get a certain percent of these orders because, luckily, you had the lowest price. Good salespeople follow up to make certain the quotation was understood and to inquire about the competition. That's the time to ask for the order directly and then shut up.
Getting Some Feedback
You will either get the order or you will hear objections that you can overcome creatively. Even if you don't get the order, you've learned something about your pricing, your quality or your response time.
I next approached a middle-aged woman who suggested, "Remind your readers that they should never try to sell anything they wouldn't buy themselves. It should be a golden rule of selling."
This print buyer was talking about confidence in yourself and your company. Great salespeople know unequivocally that they have all the personal tools required to serve the most demanding customer. They also believe in their companies and their ability to satisfy clients. Print buyers can smell salespeople who don't believe in themselves or their employers.
Actually, the woman's admonition was a good one. Ask yourself objectively if you would buy from yourself and/or your company. If you get a couple of "nos", you ought to start thinking about taking the Civil Service exam.
Next I spotted a veteran print buyer crossing the street with two print salespeople on leashes. I chased him down and asked him for a column topic.
He rubbed his chin in thought while one of the print salespeople eyed a fire hydrant. He eventually responded, "I've got a tough job. I want salespeople who will make my life easy. You know—convenient."
Word on the Street
There—I've done it again. I got a great topic from a man on the street. Who needs The Mañana Man for topics?
The print buyer was right. Superstar salespeople know how to serve their clientele. There are never any surprises because the salesperson keeps the buyer informed. If the buyer needs 24-hour turnaround (or faster) for quotes, the salesperson orchestrates fast turnaround. If the buyer has a late night press OK, the salesperson is there in person, complete with the client's favorite snacks or dinner. If the buyer wants something hand-delivered immediately, the salesperson makes it happen.
These salespeople have learned, "That in order to be served, you must first learn to serve." I can never remember who first said that, but it should be a guiding principle for anyone who seeks prosperity.
Finally I spotted a man entering a bank. I called to him and he graciously walked over. I asked if perhaps he was a print buyer. He laughed and told me, "No, but you're close. I'm a print salesperson and I serve many print buyers."
I learned that he was entering the bank to deposit a $78,000 commission check. I introduced myself and told him about my mission to come up with column topics. He said he would help. "Tell your readers to sell benefits, not features," he advised. "Remind them to put themselves in their customers' and prospects' shoes. Tell them to listen to clients. They will listen their way into more accounts than they will ever gain by talking."
This was easy. I'm going to pound the pavement every month. It sure beats depending on The Mañana Man. Now it's time for you to hit the street to get out there and sell something!
—Harris DeWese
About the Author
Harris DeWese is the author of Now Get Out There and Sell Something!, published by Nonpareil Books. He is a principal at Compass Capital Partners and is an author of the annual "Compass Report," the definitive source of information regarding printing industry M&A activity. DeWese specializes in investment banking, mergers and acquisitions, sales, marketing, planning and management services to printing companies. He can be reached via e-mail at hmdewese@aol.com.