50% of You Won’t Follow This Advice, But You Should

Credit: adobe firefly

Many years ago, I was in Seattle giving a presentation to salespeople working the western states of the Consolidated Graphics empire. The late Joe Davis and I were having a conversation about his 600-plus sales team and I made a comment that nearly made his head explode: “50% of your salespeople are in cruise control. They have no interest in growing. Any new business they pick up will be from existing accounts who hand it to them. They’re not lazy, just complacent.” Joe was shocked and angry. He asked, “What do we do with them?” My response caused him to turn heel and walk away from me in disgust: “Nothing. Thank them for coming to work every day, appreciate them for what they do, and don’t spend money on guys like me expecting to move the needle.”

The next morning, he found me at breakfast and asked me to step out of the room. Once there, he told me, “I was up half the night upset with your comments about my salespeople. It was only when I accepted the fact that you are right that I was able to fall asleep.” What I wanted to say, but didn’t, was what I was thinking: “At 50%, I think I’m being generous.”

Time and time again, I have seen this exact same statistic hold true. Some managers have already come to that conclusion, but most have the same reaction as Joe. Honestly, I can understand the thinking of a sales rep who has worked hard to build a book of business and has earned the right to ride that wave. And the closer the rep is to the finish line, the more tempting it is to hit the cruise control button. The lucky ones blow out the candles in their retirement cake before that wave hits the beach, but others will see their plans to stay in that 50% bracket dashed with the loss of a key account or the realization they need to add 25% to their income level because they just got their kid’s first college tuition bill. If you are in that latter category and want more, here is your sales playbook:

1| Maximize existing orders — Consider your existing book of business and the jobs you are producing now. Instead of looking at it as an annuity, see it differently by recognizing the fact that you are printing a solution, but not necessarily the best solution. Your first opportunity to grow your sales comes when you look beyond the specs of a job and learn its purpose. What problem is this solving? How will this piece be used? And is there a better way? The first lesson I learned in sales school was this: The cost of using the printed piece far exceeds the cost of buying it. By examining and understanding the story behind the printed piece, you can work to come up with another solution; one that increases its value or reduces its usage cost. Not only might this result in a better and more profitable job, it will work to solidify your relationship with the customer as you are showing them you are still working to earn their business.

2| Maximize existing opportunities — Take a look at the customer as a whole. Are there other products or services you could provide them? One of your goals should be to meet 100% of a customer’s employees. Make it a habit to meet at least one new person before you walk out of the building. Write their name down. Get a business card if you can. Open up a file on your CRM and update it every time you have an exchange. This practice can pay immediate dividends by expanding your base of contacts and decision makers, but it can also benefit you down the road in case one of those people leaves and ends up at Humongous Corporation.

3| Profile your target market — Looking at your existing customer base, there are commonalities. Some are obvious while others are hidden. Whether you recognize it or not, you have a sweet spot. Understand this and accept it and you can narrow the scope of any new-business-from-new-customers efforts you might put in.

4| Understand and accept the new rules of prospecting — First, let me say this: If you are old enough to successfully use the phrase, “Back in the day ... ” you need to know that when it comes to prospecting, we aren’t in Kansas anymore. Buyers and decision makers are younger. Their communication preferences might be foreign to you. And perhaps most importantly, they are likely to make a purchase decision without ever having spoken to you or replied to one of your solicitation emails. They’re going to check you out online. It will start with your LinkedIn profile where they will size you up. Next, they will look at your testimonials and anything you have posted. Then they’ll head over to your website and determine if you are a good fit. So, first make sure you have prepared your online presence so that it makes a good impression. And second, see this as a reason why your calls and emails are not being replied to and make changes accordingly.

5| Remember the basics — So much has changed since “back in the day,” but the fundamentals remain the same. After you’ve identified your best possible prospects, you need to research their business needs (not their print needs). This will allow you to make a high-quality, well-researched sales call. Next up, you’re going to need to find the right person to talk to about each particular business need you uncover. AI can help, but if you are still in the shallow end of that pool, stick with LinkedIn. The last two steps are to create a step-by-step prospecting process and follow that process with diligence and pleasant persistency. The methods and the medium might have changed, but your path to sales growth is the same as it always was — and always will be.

Those are the major pieces of advice I would give you. Minor thoughts include pursuing sales in areas of graphic arts that are less price competitive. I would also take a hard look at trends on both a national and local level. Which verticals are hot right now?

Needless to say, all sales reps should be looking to expand their base of business at all times. New work is far easier to find when you don’t need it and you’re not looking for it. Need some motivation? Think about what would happen if you lost your biggest account. You might currently be in that 50% bracket, cruising your way through your sales day. But unless that retirement cake is already on order, you’d be wise to get selling.