Printing Education, Career Pathway
Joe Rickard
CTC Leads with Innovative Graphic Arts Career ...

Central Texas College instructor, Bobbi Waddle conducting her graphic communications class

CTC Leads with Innovative Graphic Arts Career Education
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The “Incompetent” Sales Manager Who Gets Sales Results

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Recently, I read a good sales article “Dismantling the Sales Machine - Harvard Business Review”. It is a plea for sales managers and sales people to rely less on “canned” processes and controls and more on insight to manage the business.
As with many sales books and articles, it is heavy on theory and light on operational insights. This is  a problem. In our consulting experience, high performing sales organizations are full of great sales people led by great managers. It is never the other way around.

The article made me think of a very successful sales manager I had when I first started as a salesperson. At first, I thought he was an “incompetent” sales manager. It turned out that he was a brilliant sales manager. While most other sales managers were directed to manage through the rigid formula, control and process, our sales manager seemed to “fumble around” the formula and control part.

Our sales manager was strong on direction and leadership but was flexible and adaptable. I was already strong performer before he came to be our boss. At our first meeting, I brought in my proposals for his review. He said to me that I really was much stronger at sales proposals than he was and why don’t we move onto something else.

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The Future of Newspapers

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Within a group who work with Intellective Solutions, we have been exchanging emails about the implications of the purchase of the Washington Post and the long term prospects for newspapers. Here is in the thoughtful email shared by SEO expert and Web strategist, Matt Robson on the his view of the future of newspapers and how they will evolve. As many of our folks are dedicated to print, his opinion elicited some lively discussion from within our Intellective Solutions extended team.

 

"As the younger generation's demographics shift to living in cities, they don't have a front stoop that begs for delivery. We might pick up a paper here and there if we lack a book or device on the train or coffee break, but, it's not a daily appointment with these titles the way the older generation had them. Smart phones with Facebook and twitter nix the desire to have news pushed to us. If we really want news, there is Google news, and any number of blogs

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Stop Spinning and Start Selling #Printing

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With the advancement of digital printing, W2P and the gradual acceptance of cross media printing solutions, many printing salespeople have a lot of new products and services to offer their customers. There is a great deal to learn and a much to do.

The key question is “are printing salespeople and their management up to the task?”  During our sales and marketing consulting engagements with graphic communications organizations, we find many are.

Here is the challenge. Large customers have continued to reduce expenses and in particular marketing budgets. Many small and mid-size customers have suffered the most. They have been especially hammered by uncertainty and a slow recovery. It is tough enough to sell printing in a good economy; it is really rough to sell in a bad one where there are lots of less expensive digital and social media choices

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#Sales Management and Infoparalysis

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A new trend is taking shape in sales management

Over the last few years, we have seen more and more companies move to a control sales management style. This is particularly evident in larger companies. The theory here is if you determine all the steps necessary to generate an order and then manage the sales force to those steps, sales will increase. An added benefit is it helps executives provide more fact based revenue and  profit forecasts.

Using sales automation software or CRM systems, sales management and executives count how many prospects are in the pipeline and what sales activities are being generated to produce orders. It is science over art.

A good compensation plan and a “kick in the pants”

For a long time, we worked with companies whose sales management program could best be described as a good compensation plan and a “kick in the pants”. In this scenario, the sales people determine where the prospects are and what needs to be done. Everyone is happy as long as business is coming in.

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Why Are Many #Salespeople Still Not Consultative Sellers?

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It is mystery why so many direct sales people are still attempting to sell complex products and services in a non-consultative way. Consultative selling is simply a process of knowing what the implied and expressed needs and wants of clients before making a recommendation. This is generally achieved through asking relevant and informed questions

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Why Do So Many #Printing Companies Respond To Blind Request for Quotes?

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It is mystery why so many direct sales people are still attempting to sell complex products and services in a non-consultative way. Consultative selling is simply a process of knowing what the implied and expressed needs and wants of clients before making a recommendation. This is generally achieved through asking relevant and informed questions.

Research, surveys and experience that tell us consultative sellers are more successful. This simply means that those salespeople who know and respond to their customer’s business, pain points and business model make more sales and earn more commissions.


A good example of how this works was illustrated by a recent experience we had. We worked with a client within the graphic communications market helping them put together a large and complex RFP. All the potential suppliers had an equal chance to gain information and ask questions.

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Poor Content and #Printing of Product Documentation Is Bad Marketing

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Am I the only person who gets frustrated with poorly designed, poorly written and poorly printed product documentation? It never ceases to amaze me how companies can invest so much money into the development and production of their products and then not take one additional small step to ensure that all their marketing is first class.

Here are two examples of many that I have recently uncounted:

I recently bought a high end car. There were four manuals provided. Sitting in my car and attempting to learn all the features and capabilities was daunting. The content and graphics depicting and explaining the car elements were not clear enough. Using my laptop within my car was not a viable alternative. I learned most of what I need through trial and error.

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Forever #Print

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We have consistently found pockets around the US where there is a shortage of skilled professionals to fill qualified jobs within the printing industry. From bindery to press operators to sales, print providers frequently struggle filling open positions. What makes this problem even more daunting is the fact there is high unemployment, throughout the economy.

Historically, the printing industry has faced this dilemma. Though a huge industry that still ranks among the largest manufacturing segments within the US, it is made of up of many small companies dispersed thought the country. Because of boom and bust trends and rapid changes in technology, no print provider can afford to be complacent.

Since few print providers can provide the resources to conduct basic training for print professionals, the industry has relied on trade schools and industry provided training. Both of these sources of training have been under strong pressure economically. Consequently it is now of great concern how will print providers, industry suppliers and the educational community step in and provide the leadership required to support the industry over the next 10 years

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What Sales Managers Can Learn From the NCAAs

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Watching the NCAA men’s final four games this weekend made me think of the impact that coaches have on successful teams. The execution, intensity and teamwork of the teams were a beautiful thing to watch. Louisville, Michigan, Wichita State and Syracuse were all great.  In each case, it was clear that these teams are being driven by a coach who is more than just a recruiter or tactical expert or motivator. They are led by head coaches who are leaders.

Too often in business, we see good salespeople led to failure by sales managers and owners. You would think in these tough economic times, we would be seeing more leadership and better execution. Unfortunately that is not the case.

Great Sales Management Makes the Difference

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Graphic Designers and Digital #Printers

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Over the last few months, we have been seeing better designed pieces produced for and on digital color presses.  Recently we saw a perfect bound print on demand booklet that was simply beautiful.  It complemented and added to the content. Anyone would be impressed by this booklet. The range of colors used was outstanding.

Last week we provided a training workbook for a client with a colorfully designed front cover. We explained to our favorite graphic designer that this piece would be printed in short runs on a high end digital press.  We received so many compliments. It caught us by surprise.

Looking around, we still see so many short run print jobs that look like offset when they could look a lot better. Any piece that is well printed but poorly designed is a missed opportunity to communicate more effectively.  

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Substrates and the Selling of #Printing

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Here is an email I received from a great printing executive and legendary nonprofit fundraiser, Frank Regnante. He is one a number of pros who have urged me to write more about the importance of substrates in the selling of print. I completely agree

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Define Your Target Market First...

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Marketing and Sales strategies must be built on a fact based foundation.  We are often asked to help companies build marketing and sales plans.  We find that "Gut feels" and "Field war stories" too often are the basis for decisions involving sales coverage, manpower assignments, quota setting, advertising approaches and even new product development.  This needed foundation, built on facts, is a clear understanding of a company's target market.

The target market in its' final form, is a list (or Excel file) of the companies that are most likely to need your products or services.  These companies must be in a geography that is reachable by your sales channels.  If you rely on drawing potential customers to your location or you have a small direct sales force that rely on face to face interactions, your geography will be limited.

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Stop Me When You See Some #Printing You Like

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Gaining an appointment with a customer and first showing them endless samples and examples of your printing products is a prescription for a failed sales call. It is still a common crutch for many printing salespeople to carry a brief case full of print samples. This is known as a “pitch book”.

 

Gaining an appointment with a prospective customer who can actually make a decision to buy is the hope and dream of every sales person who sells complex products or services. No new customer is gained unless a customer’s curiosity is elevated to interest and a call to action. The surest way to lose a golden opportunity is to misuse precious face to face time with a customer by sharing information and samples that the customer does not need or care about.

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#Printing After All Is a Personal Service

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Most print providers get most of their new business from existing customers. With so many commercial printers trying to compete in a price sensitive and commoditized world, customer service is often the only differentiator among competitors. Providing outstanding customer service is a critical necessity.

I recently ran across an old 1922 ad for a large NY Printer, Charles Francis Press in Printer’s Ink Magazine. The title of the advertisement was “Is the Charles Francis Press Too Big?”

The gist of the ad was that this large printing company was easy to do business with. The copy of the ad written by owner, Gus Oakes, emphasized that any customer was welcome to come to the plant and ask any employee what was the status of their job. The promise was that the Charles Francis Press will treat every job and every customer special. 

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Social Media and Commercial #Printing

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At Graph Expo 2012, I participated in two education events where the topic of social media was discussed vigorously. Essentially the question came down to two key points. Should Commercial Printers be using social media in their sales and marketing strategies? The answer is YES.

In a July, 2012 poll conducted by Social Science Research Solutions (SSRS) published by the AARP Bulletin, 69% of ages 18 to 49% and 38% of ages 50-plus use some type of Social Media.  These represent big numbers that will likely get even bigger.

At the very least, just like with any communications media, Printers must know how to integrate social media and print. 

Here are two important to do’s for every Printer.

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