Are You Stopping Yourself from Making Profitable Print Sales?
I am often told that buyers always choose on price
So here’s an alternative point of view: when I was a buyer, I didn’t always choose on price. But frequently, print sales people assumed that price would be the deciding factor.
Many people in our industry are firmly convinced that the only way to win work is to undercut the competition. As a result, they end up selling on price. And they miss opportunities to sell print more profitably.
The trouble is, once you believe that buyers choose on price then it can be hard to believe that there are other possibilities. If this belief is so deeply embedded in our minds then it is hard to move away from it.
Here is a story about how I tried not choose on price – but was stopped by sales people
I used to run tenders for magazine printing at a publishing company. On every tender I included a statement saying that printers should not just quote on my specifications. I was also interested in proposals from printing companies that would help us work more efficiently or reduce our costs.
I actually used to speak to potential new suppliers to point out this statement. I told them that I would happily spend more money with them if they could help me with these issues. Despite this, I only ever received two proposals from printing companies that were not just based on my specifications. Nearly all sales people assumed I was only interested in price.
I talked seriously to one company where I would have had to pay significantly more for my printing
They were offering me access to more efficient production software. They were proposing to employ some of our production staff. They had thought of some different ways to do business that would have been more profitable for both companies.
Meanwhile, the other print companies chose to sell on price. They missed out on a significant business opportunity.
P.S. Find out more ideas on how to increase sales with today’s buyers: download my free e-book “Ten Common Print Selling Errors and What To Do About Them.” You’ll also receive my regular “Views from the print buyer” bulletin, full of ideas on how to sell print effectively.
- Categories:
- Business Management - Marketing/Sales
Many printing companies are frustrated how hard it is to engage buyers in today’s world. That’s where Matthew Parker can help. He is a gamekeeper turned poacher. Parker has bought print for more than 20 years and received over 1,400 print sales pitches. He now uses his buyer’s point of view to give practical advice to printers. He helps them engage with prospects and customers to create profitable relationships.
Download his free e-book, "Ten Common Print Selling Errors And What To Do About Them" and check out his recently launched book, "How To Succeed At Print Sales: Setting targets, planning the right activities and making sure goals are met."
