I was in Florida years ago at a sales meeting for a large print company. One salesperson was talking about selling to big accounts; Big fish. She worked with a healthcare company and their annual purchase amount was close to $5 million. Out of curiosity I asked, “What's the origin story? That is, how did you first get in the door?” Almost apologetically she replied, “I dropped off a calendar and some pens with our name on it and it just so happened they were looking for a new vendor.”
What's the value of selling promo? In this case, $5,000,000.
That is obviously an extreme case. But there's no question the right promotional product keeps your name top of mind. For you as the salesperson, selling promo helps you gain greater share of customer. For your clients, promo works as a lead-generator and supports their brand. Companies welcome new employees with swag, delighting them in a way “Happy to have you with us” cannot.
Do you want to know if selling promotional products and branded apparel is right for you? Answer this question: What do you do for work? That is, how do you define your job to others? If your answer is something like, “I sell print,” or “I sell signage,” your promo/apparel sales are likely to be based on price because you clearly don't get it.
However, if you define your job as, “I help my customers find their customers,” you are going to do well... very well.
The real question you should be asking yourself is, “How do I become someone who helps their customers find their customers?”
Sales Vault members are crazy-good at selling promo. Join us. Go to SalesVault.pro or call Bill at 781-934-7036.
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.
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Bill Farquharson is a respected industry expert and highly sought after speaker known for his energetic and entertaining presentations. Bill engages his audiences with wit and wisdom earned as a 40-year print sales veteran while teaching new ideas for solving classic sales challenges. Email him at bill@salesvault.pro or call (781) 934-7036. Bill’s two books, The 25 Best Print Sales Tips Ever and Who’s Making Money at Digital/Inkjet Printing…and How? as well as information on his new subscription-based website, The Sales Vault, are available at salesvault.pro.





