Three Keys to Turn Complexity Into Confidence

"No one said this was going to be easy" is a huge understatement. I was talking to a client the other day, and we were discussing the different areas of change within our industry that have taken place over the years. We went back to the film and stripping days, then direct to plate – all the way to today when some shops are processing thousands of orders a day. Wow, what a ride. But it doesn’t end there, in fact, it just begins there.

Most of those changes took place inside your operations. You could argue that you had some sense of control over this. Those that worked together with the suppliers and the manufacturers were able to successfully navigate the changes, retrain the operators and continue to move forward. But complexity in the marketplace sure looks different. While there is still work to be done internally, a lot of today’s complexity resides outside of your four walls.

We talked about the day when we both heard the phrase “the new normal,” what that meant to us and how we thought it might affect our business. My take was that the new normal meant we would still make money spinning cylinders and generating clicks, but how we got the business and how we retained it would be on a fast-track path of change – never to look back.

So, let’s talk about how we get business today. It differs from the past and that we no longer have easy access to print buyers who were eagerly awaiting our arrival. Or so, it seemed, because whenever we asked for them at the reception desk (you remember those don’t you), they were always available and would spend time with us. Many reps were able to apply that sales training skill of “get them to like you and then they’ll find a way to do business with you.”

Solid business relationships were built with that formula. Fast-forward to today and access to buyers and their committees is guarded – to say the least. It’s a game of hide and seek with email, voicemail and social media contacts. The game has changed. The buyers now have more access to information and are doing their homework well before they want to engage with a salesperson.

OK, so that’s changed. But what hasn’t changed? What hasn’t changed is you’re still solving problems for your customers, sometimes without them even knowing it, and sometimes in collaboration with them.

Look at some of your best clients, what kind of problems do you solve for them? Have you been able to articulate it and work it into a new business development cadence? Chances are, not as well as you would’ve liked. As I see it, you’re already doing cartwheels and solving big hairy problems for your customers, and the prospects that you’re chasing probably have similar type problems that you can help them with. Perhaps focusing on your problem-solving and creative engineering skills might go a little bit further than showing off your new gear.

That’s right, focus on the intangibles, focus on the things that keep your buyers up at night. That part has never changed. Adding clarity to that can help turn the complexity of finding new logos into a confident, scalable action plan that your team can master.

Here are three things I would encourage you to work on before you send your sales team out on their missions of finding new customers:

1. Be very clear on what you’re looking for. Regardless of the size and capabilities of your organization, you need to be clear on what a good customer looks like. Think about this, will the production team look at this new order and say, “why are we doing this?” Or will they look at this new order and say “wow, this fits us really well, let’s knock this out of the park.”
2. Make sure that your client facing team members look good online. No, this is not a beauty contest, but it is about relevancy When your sales folks reach out to prospects, they will check out the reps online, most likely on LinkedIn. Do your reps appear like someone who can really add value to what it is this prospect is doing? Remember, if you’re going to focus on the intangibles and the value you bring to the table, make sure that those are the things you’re talking about online.
3. Lastly, have a plan. Anybody who thinks they’re going to send one email or make one phone call to ambush a prospect into having a chat with them is either one of the top 1% of the sales reps out there or just not thinking this through. Most likely the latter. There is so much information out there relative to cadences and sequence of touches, that it’s borderline silly not to learn them. There is no excuse for not having a documented approach in trying to reach out to new prospects. This approach should include messaging, cadences, use cases and how you will track your progress along the way. No excuses.

With all the practitioners I’ve spoken to who do this, whether it’s the old-fashioned way or using AI, there’s no magic to finding new customers. It’s about getting people’s attention with relevant information that they believe will help them to solve a problem and make their lives somewhat easier.

Face it, everyone’s chasing new business opportunities. And it’s a complex process which left untreated can create fear and paralysis on your team. Looking at it objectively and focusing on these three key points will help you take this complex situation and give you the confidence to bring your capabilities to market, and win.

Mike Philie helps owners and CEOs in the Graphic communications industry validate what’s working, identify what needs to change, and create a practical path forward.

PhilieGroup | mphilie@philiegroup.com | Linkedin

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.