GrayMatter

Great Sales Questions

Most professional sales people know that the key to a strong relationship is being a good listener but what about asking great questions?

Not an easy skill. Sales people that are prepared, well rehearsed, and armed with good information before the call are in much better positions to establish higher credibility and respect from the start.

I've come across a number of great sales questions through the blog-world recently from sales gure Barry Rhein from California and want to share with you.

What has been your past experience with solutions like ours?

What are some of your priorities around _________?

What if we could show you how our solutions would actually save money?

What are your ideas (opinions, thoughts) on __________?

What's your definition of _________?

What if I can show you how we can help you generate profits vs. saving money?

What if we really could generate measurable business value?

Do you have a great sales question or best practice with questioning? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Send me an email at david.gray6@xerox.com

Visual Thinking

I came across an article in the April issue of Fast Company called The Napkin Sketch.  Author and innovator Dan Roam helps companies sell and present their philosophy, direction and strategies through simple and  smart drawings.  This is not business cartooning but a pretty cool approach to explaining complex things in an easy to understand way.  Creative and in some ways even more descriptive, this kind of presentation can help people understand things "beyond bullet" points.   way that helps reduce clutter that so many are used to in a PowerPoint dominated approach. 

Dan says, "Between information overload, globalization, and the sheer complexity of modern business, we've got to be more visual and less language dependent in communicating ideas,"

Dan has been at this for a while and just published a book called The Back of The Napkin - Solving Problems and Selling Ideas With Pictures.  He's got a great website (and URL name) at www.digitalroam.com.  On his site he sums up his philosophy, "Visual thinking is how we use our eyes (and our mind's eye) to look at a problem, see patterns and opportunities, imagine ways to manipulate those patterns to our advantage, and show those insights to others."

Dignity In Dirty Jobs

In the latest issue of FastCompany (Feb '08) there is a great cover story about Mike Rowe, star and creator of Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs.  Mike has developed a cult like following with this show and attracted some big name advertisers.  The premise of the show is the importance of people performing tough dirty jobs like sewage cleaning, pest removal, disaster cleanup.....all making our lives easier.

"There's dignity in hard work, expertise in unexpected places, and deep satisfaction in tackling and finishing a tough job", says Mike in the story.  Think how hard our jobs can be sometime in the print industry...not always dirty.  Files, workflow, Pantone colors, maintenance, finding new customers, keeping them happy, making profits, new applications....it's not easy but can be rewarding.

Next time you're having a hard day, think of pulling lobster pots or paving highways and remember it's juts toner (or ink) on paper.

"Can Do" Applications

One of the most common questions/concerns that printers have been sharing with me is "how to get our sales people to sell digital print?".  Well that's a valid concern especially if your company is marketed as an offset provider, traditional printer or litho house.  Companies that have transformed their operations, marketing, production and business development into a communications agency are headed in the right direction.

Fear not, there are a host of hot growth segments and applications that print providers are breaking into.  Digital printing is very hot in direct mail, collateral on demand, trans-promotional documents and books/manuals.  Xerox has some great NEW tools aptly called "Can Do Applications".  These are designed to help your sales force learn about fast growing digital applications, how customers are using them and what type of relevant questions to ask.  There are creative examples and source files in these kits to spark interest and generate IDEAS.  Call me at 212-716-4727 to learn more, I'd love to get you some of these materials to help your business.

One more thing......a few questions I'd like ask of you as a printing company owner:

• What kind of marketing are you doing each month to promote your services?
• How often to you hold sales/business development training sessions about digital print applications?
• Who are the people your reps are calling on besides production and procurement?
• Do you develop case studies of your success stories that showcase solutions you have created and how you helped your client be more successful?
• Are your clients looking for new, innovative ways to market?

Think about how you will ignite your sales force to sell more digital, offer ideas to clients and have that "Can Do" approach.  I am available to give a presentation about digital printing and selling digital to your sales force......no cost to you just a willingness to learn and hear what other print providers are doing. SUCCESSFULLY with digital printing today.

New Rules of Selling

At our recent customer focused event titled, The New Business of Printing, the Xerox Graphic Communications team hosted a one day event attended by New York City area printers.  During the Business Development presentation by industry guru Mickey Call, he discussed how printers need to approach their clients differently than what everyone else is doing in todays print selling market.

The "new rules of selling" are about giving your clients IDEAS how to be unique, innovative and creative.  Instead of approacahing your clients and prospects with "cheapest, fastest, best quality", more effective and long term relationships are forged by selling solutions and being a source for creative new applications.  Give it away, be an expert and you will be seen as a valuable resource not an everyday faceless vendor.

Selling print and related graphic communications requires marketing your company as a partner of OPPORTUNITY not just a vendor of product or manufacturing.  Mickey emphasized that printers need to stand out from the rest of their peers by showcasing their abilities, talking outside of purchasing contacts and talk to the owners of the documents like marketing and sales.  Don't be seen as just a printing company but a communications agency and real source for solutions, ideas and proven revenue streams.

"If you're not riding the wave of change, you'll find yourself beneath it", concluded Mickey.  There are many oportunities that printers can take advanatge of but it starts with a commitment to transform how you approach selling today.

Sales Strategy: Applications

No matter what you're selling the KEY to any sale is to know exactly what the application is and make the connection to the solution you are proposing. Sounds simple but it takes skill to master this practice. No solution is complete without really understanding the situation a client or prospect is facing. It may be a specific stock, a certain finishing feature, a fulfillment aspect or driven by a marketing message. You'll be seen as a problem solver instead of a vendor if you concentrate on the application. This reminds me of an article I read last year in Graphic Arts Monthly, How to Sell Digital Printing Profitably.