We Don’t Do That, We Only Do This

Credit: Bill Gillespie

I take phone calls every day. Some are from reps that are frustrated with their employer. Some are employers that are frustrated with reps. Many are from owners that want to sell more stuff. Many want a different result but don’t want to do anything different.

I love these calls. There is no charge. I take these calls because I love talking about our industry, selling and how to make the most of a career. As long as the phone keeps ringing, I’ll answer and share my perspective. They give me stuff to write about too.

Earlier this month I spoke with a company owner. He wants more sales. His market (geographical footprint) is full of business growth. His competitors are growing. He is not. Stagnation is eroding his bottom line and it’s starting to hurt.

I asked about his ideal mix of work. He responded with a description of his plant. He named his presses, bindery solutions and workflow automation. He was able to share every investment and what made it a good decision.

I asked, again, about his work. I disguised the question, however. I asked, “who do you want to do business with? Describe your ideal customer.”

I already knew the answer. “Anyone with money. Basically, anyone that has work and will pay their bills.”

I see this more than any other paradigm. I see it with owners, general managers, sales managers and even reps. They don’t know who they want to work with. They haven’t identified specific brands or even business sectors. They don’t have targets that lead their strategy, marketing and sales calls. Their company sales plan boils down to “hire more reps and cut them loose if they don’t perform.”

There is an interesting phenomenon that goes with these guys. They’re very good at saying no. They don’t know who they want to work with but they do know what they don’t want to print. They don’t want work that’s any different from what they already do.

I’ve yet to meet one of these “no plan leaders” that was prepared to expand his service list or mix of work. When you offer an idea, the response is immediate, “We really don’t want complicated finishing” or “we don’t want anything that involves handwork” or “we don’t know anything about point of purchase.”

This leader that has no plan for growth is laser beam focused on what they don’t want. They know how to say no. They just don’t know how to grow. They don’t know how to profile suitable business segments and identify targets.

Let me offer a personal opinion. These guys aren’t really leaders. They’re production managers. They’re valuable but they aren’t what you need if you want more sales.

Selling starts with targets. I write it every week. What kind of business do you want? Who has it? Where are they? Who works there? Who has their business now? Why do they have it? What can I do to earn it? What can we do as a company to be the best choice for the targets we have identified?

None of this is rocket science. It’s a simple and repeatable process. It’s discipline.

How does the old sales line go? “If you don’t know where you’re going any road will get you there.”

Gotta go. The phone is ringing.

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.