What Kind of Print Sales Rep Are You? 

Credit: Mark Potter.

I actually produced a marketing piece in 1991 that profiled print reps. An agency made me sit through a painful download of "this is how print reps look to us" personas. I've written about it before. The piece was called "Some Printing Reps Should Be Shot." It won every award there was to win in 1991.

I ask that question, today, from a sales manager's perspective. How would the person that manages you describe you to others? How does their perception line up with yours?

I have worked with reps since 1978. It has been my experience that reps fall into one of three categories. There are subsets of each but it boils down to three basic groups.

Group 1: This is The Idea Rep. These guys are students of the craft. They roll every client decision over in their head. They know who their prospects buy from and ask why. They are big picture focused. They are not transactional.

These guys are likely to call their manager and say, "scenario ... my client is buying this or that. I wonder if there is a way we can simplify things and ... " you get the picture.

These guys make up 1/2 of 1% of reps. They also sell the most stuff and make the most money.

Sales Leaders love these guys. When challenging opportunities come along, these are the reps managers go to for help. The best company leads go to group No. 1.

Group 2: These guys have a book of business. They're part of a client's rotation. As long as there isn't a price problem, they can write orders. Their error rate is directly related to their skills and attention to detail. Volume depends on client behavior.

This is the largest group. Typically, they don't see opportunity. They define selling as taking care of client requests and riding herd on work in the plant. They don’t create sales.

They are not idea people. Sales Leaders are happy to have these guys but secretly hope one or some of them will advance to Group 1. 

Group 3: These guys sell at the bottom. Their account turnover is high and nothing is their fault. They typically need help on price. They're always one break away from success, but somehow it never happens.

This group is always in motion. Their resume includes a long and embarrassing list of former employers. They can tell you exactly what is wrong with your company but they can't make sales happen.
These are your most expensive reps. They take more time and sell less stuff.

I'll go back to my question. What kind of rep are you? If you don't know, odds are you aren't in the first group.

Do yourself a favor. Ask your boss. Get their input. Ask for guidance if you don't like the answer. Ask how you can do better and become more valuable to the team.

Trust me on this. Your manager will love you for it. You'll change (improve) how you're seen. You'll be the bright spot in the sales manager's day.

Good sales leaders don't want to monitor quotas. They want to brainstorm ideas and celebrate sales victories. They want to see you win!

Be the rep that asks, "how can I do better?" 

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.