Business Management - Marketing/Sales

This blog is meant to help print salespeople overcome the barriers that prevent many from prospecting at levels consistent with a company’s growth objectives. It’s time for us to have some exercise...some prospecting calisthenics, if you will.

We are in a customer driven and empowered world, one where no one has to listen to marketing bravado in order to determine whether or not a product, program, service or company is any good before trying it out.

Let's get down to brass tacks about eBooks and whether you should write one for your company by looking at the pros and cons of this idea. Whether you are writing for an online audience or looking for a way to re-position your company in one-to-one settings, an eBook is an excellent marketing tool to accomplish these goals.

Successful marketing programs of all kinds take products on a journey from ignorance to purchase, passing through each of the five AIDAR buying cycle stages: Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action and Reorder. “Planning for product development success isn’t difficult,” Lucy said.

I have to laugh at the notion that professional print buyers owe it to printers to pick up the phone when you call them. If you have something they might need, make that clear in your message, and they’ll call back.

It’s ink on paper—and that’s it. Solutions, consulting, communications...for the most part, it’s just lip service, a 21st century angle. Who are we to stay that we are qualified to be a communications or solutions consultant in any of the diverse industries we try to sell?

Sailing is a great metaphor for time management. To make the most of your selling day, you’ll need to properly rig your boat and chart an efficient course. Any sailor will tell you that it’s the prep you do while sitting at the dock that makes for a good sail.

Prospecting for new accounts is the absolute hardest thing I have ever done. Research into the psychological reasons for call reluctance has revealed more than a fear of rejection. In fact, the research found nine unique reasons.

There is a lot to be said for making some changes, but nice, small subtle ones. And more importantly, ones that have a chance of having an impact, because they involve only you. 1. YOUR ACTIVITY LEVEL—The more prospects you add to your pipeline, the more clients you will have in six months or a year.

I happen to like the word “free.” It grabs my attention. It has a lot of usages, and for some reason, all of them seem good. How can you use the word and apply it to helping grow your print sales?