Business Management - Marketing/Sales

I had an interesting appointment with a copier equipment salesperson the other day...But not really. It SHOULD have been interesting. I am an avid buyer of what this rep has to sell. Why wasn’t it interesting?

I was listening to the radio the other day, and there was a segment about the ways in which people and companies use persuasive tactics to communicate with and sell to their customers and prospects. “Foot in the Door” is the one I want to focus on today.

When a print customer says she needs something printed ASAP or even “right away,” you need clarification. For all you know, she’s thinking same day or next day—or maybe to her, next week is fine. If you don’t ask, you’ll assume it means what you think it means.

I recall hearing that the first restaurant to offer the now-common practice of one-price combo meals (entrée, fries and a drink, for example) was a Taco Bell. Why has no one brought this concept to the world of printing?

Steve Martin once said, “Some people have a way with words. Others not have way.” If you’re more of the latter and need to know how to write an effective prospecting letter, this “Short Attention Span Webinar” is for you.

A targeted print ad can be an effective way to generate leads. Three tips for creating ads that get results are: set a clear, specific goal for the ad; write a killer headline; and use imagery that supports the message.

With the incredible proliferation of brands in the b2b and b2c markets, your sales people needs all of the help you can give them to get in the door. It takes both hard work and some new tools to compete.

The June 28 “Print Confessions” blog written by a Graphic Designer received quite a number of comments both here and on the LinkedIn groups where it was posted. The following is an interesting email response I received from Colin Burnell, an estimator/planner at Graphics Plus in New South Wales, Australia.

It will be much more difficult for you to get what you want from your life if you do not identify what you want and figure out who can help you to get it. How does this translate into sales?

I love this quote from Nike’s promotional book: “To get to the next level, you often have to take a step back.” It may be a comment on the company’s fleece brand, but it also describes the awesome production attributes of this case-bound book.