Management Strategies — Secrets to Solution Selling

• comfortable dealing at the “C” level;

• outgoing, personable and presentable; and

• insightful, intelligent and possessing a high degree of empathy.

The first thing that most printing companies look for in a solution salesperson is “industry experience.” Unfortunately, that’s exactly what makes the task of finding them so difficult since nearly all of the sales reps with industry experience were trained to be trans-actional salespeople.

In fact, lack of industry experience is preferable. Think about it. In the short term, your company can support the salesperson with the depth of knowledge that exists within the organization. Over the longer term, they can be trained to “your way of doing things.” This way there are no bad habits to unlearn.

Knowledge of a specific market you’re attempting to penetrate is most critical. Understanding the challenges faced by companies competing in this space is the first step in helping to guarantee your firm’s sales success. PI

About the Author
Mike Kind is the founder and former owner of The JKG Group in Boca Raton, FL. He currently is managing partner of MyKind Advisors (www.mykindadvisors.com) and a partner in The Next Level Group (www.the-nextlevelgroup.com), which focus on taking companies from where they are to where they want to be. He is also the author of “Re-energize Your Printing Business,” a best-selling book within the printing industry.