It’s Time to Go!

Credit: Harold Still circa 1984

If you’re reading this, it’s safe to suggest you work in or with one of the best industries in the world. I’m guessing you work for a printer, sell machines, paper, software or workflow solutions. You’re part of pressing a mature industry to continuously improve…evolve.

Awesome, isn’t it?

I got my start in 1975. I was a buyer and ran a small, one-man, in-house print shop. It was a cool job and a great way to get introduced to our industry.

Three years in I went to work for a supplier. I wanted a job in purchasing. They offered me a spot in sales. It was my only option, so I took it. Wow! What a ride.

I was curious about the process (printing process) so the pressmen and litho prep guys took me under their wing. They explained what was happening on each sheet. They taught me why the solution that worked yesterday was not the answer for today’s hurdle. They made me a better rep. They helped my customers receive better results.

Learning from those craftsmen taught me a great deal about selling too. Being interested in their work validated them. It reduced stress. They were anxious to help me understand what worked and what wouldn’t. Because I cared about them, they cared about me. They were instrumental in my success.

It’s exactly the same with clients. They want to talk about their hurdles. They want to do business with people that care about their assignment. They think more of reps and companies that care about more than winning bids.

One of my best managers used to lament, “why do reps hang up their sales hat when they walk into the plant? They’re making a huge mistake. The plant guys will move mountains for them if they do some internal selling.”

This guy was spot on. If you ask those around you to share, they’ll make you better. They’ll help you become a better expert. They’ll make your success part of their mission. You’ll set yourself apart from most of your peers.

The reverse is also true. If you take time to share your view of things they’ll listen. Your clients will become people not a name on a work order. The people doing the work will take ownership of the client relationship. You want that to happen.

Empathy is Everything in sales. Pressure without understanding creates resentment. Resentment blocks success.

If you work in this industry you’re surrounded by amazing people. Don’t waste that resource. Take advantage of it. Share, listen, learn and grow. Your career will thank you for it. Mine certainly did.

Now, please allow me a personal moment. If you follow me, you know I’ve been winding down. I’ve resigned my last consulting clients, and I’ve slowly scaled back on writing. This space with Printing Impressions has been my final gig.

Now, out of respect for your time and eyeballs, I’m hanging that up too. A younger perspective seems in order. This is my last weekly blog. It’s time for me to go.

I’m not retiring to a golf course. I’m committed to some projects more personal in nature. I have outlines but that’s all. I need to get things underway and see what this new direction might teach me.

The great people at NAPCO have left the door open for me to contribute here and there. While I won’t abuse the relationship, I will send them a piece, occasionally, if I feel like I can contribute. We’ll see.

Thank you for your support and messages. You can’t know what it means to receive your email, texts and phone calls. You’re why I’ve done this. Hopefully, you’ve seen something of value.

Photo? One of the great pressmen I was privileged to work with. He’ll never know what he taught me and how crucial he was to my success.

You work in a great industry. Don’t waste it.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions. Artificial Intelligence may have been used in part to create or edit this content.