Scavenger Hunt for New Biz –DeWese

This column will provide you and your company with an opportunity to participate in a first-ever National Scavenger Hunt for Graphic Arts Company Growth. That's an easy acronym: NSHGACG.

This column will serve as the starting line and Dec. 31, 2011, will be the finish line for NSHGACG.

I'm numbering the annual hunts with Roman Numerals like they use for the Super Bowl, so we start with the number one equaling I. I have found that the use of Roman Numerals helps to teach our society the Roman Numerals that we failed to learn in the fourth grade.

The object of the Scavenger Hunt is to develop new accounts for your company. The companies and salespeople who develop the most new accounts will not only get national recognition within the pages of Printing Impressions and any other publications we can cajole into giving us some ink, but will also win some fabulous prizes.

Everyone—companies and salespeople—who participates will be a winner, though, because your search efforts will develop new accounts that would otherwise have gone to your lame competitors.

Here is how the contest works:

Salespeople obtain a list of prospective print buyers. The list has to fit your company and its capabilities. Print buyers that primarily purchase long-run web work with in-line finishing do not fit your company if your largest press is a four-color sheetfed model.

You now have until Dec. 31, 2011, to get as many new accounts as possible from your Scavenger Hunt efforts. Or, some of you may get lucky and get some new accounts that just came in over the transom.

Right Place, Right Time

Believe it or not, some people decide, "I need some printin'." They look in the phone book or Google the word "printing," and somehow get your phone number. You go out to meet them. Quote the work and actually get the job. It works well and they give you 20 more jobs over the next few months.

Now, one of the best tactics is to call people on your list, tell them who you are and the name of your company, and say, "I am participating in the National Scavenger Hunt among companies that purchase printing. Will you help me out?"

You may actually get through to one in 10 on the list. Maybe then one in 10 will respond, "Sure. What do I have to do?"

At this point, you are saying to yourself, "I've made 100 phone calls and I am finally talking to one person willing to help." Gosh, I hope you have a long list and the willingness to cycle through and through the list. You should script a voice mail for those folks where you can't get through. It should go something like this:

"Hi, I'm Marsha Thredbare at Picayune Litho here in Meraux, LA. We are participating in a National Scavenger Hunt among print buyers to learn their buying habits, and I'm sure hopin' you'll help me be a winner. We are not going to sell the information you give me, but I will probably try to sell you some printing."

(You will need to sound upbeat and cheerful, even funny if possible. You want the print buyer to catch the spirit of a fun Scavenger Hunt. If you can get your boss to part with a few bucks, maybe you can send them a dozen bagels or doughnuts, or even a rack of baby back ribs.)

But What Do I Ask?

"If you will answer these few questions, I will send you one dozen of Mom's Better Bagels. The questions won't take longer than about five minutes. I will also be sending you the results of our surveys so you see how you compare to other print buyers in our area."

Now, you ask the questions.

1. Are you the only person in your company who orders printing?

2. What kind of printed products do you purchase?

3. Can you give me some sense of the quantities (run lengths) that you order?

4. Are your printed products printed sheetfed, web or on digital presses?

5. Do you print any products on-demand or do you require fulfillment services?

6. Describe any other services provided by your print suppliers.

7. How many printing company suppliers do you use?

8. What are your most important criteria for selecting a print vendor?

9. Describe your bidding process for me.

10. How do you budget for printing annually? By product? By department or division?

11. What percent of your annual revenues (or marketing budget or general and administrative expense) is spent for printing or other services provided by your print suppliers? If they balk at this question, just ask, "Would it be less than 1 percent of your company's (or division or department) annual revenues?"

12. What are your requirements for protecting the environment?

13. Do you feel you pay more for your "greening" efforts?

14. Do you think your company is rewarded for its efforts to protect the environment? (This could be a good point at which to tell them you are sending them a booklet, a paper, a monograph...something to help them purchase "green" printing. Or, for that matter, anything that your company has available on environmental sustainability or good print procurement practices.)

15. There are many more questions you can ask if you are on a "roll" with the buyer. A "roll" in this case means you are feeling simpatico (compatible, sharing similar temperaments or interests and, therefore, able to get along well together). By the way, when you have achieved this condition, make absolutely certain you send them something to remember you.

Also during the call, in addition to recording their answers, list at least three reasons to call them again. That's where you can say, "I'll look in to that, and call you back with the information."

Now, record all your notes on your laptop, PC or a notebook. This is the beginning of a relationship, and you get one point for every call where the respondent answers at least five questions. You get two points where they answer between six and 10 questions. You get three points when they have answered more than 10 questions.

How to Keep Score

If the call results in an invitation to call them again with some information you have promised, you get five points. It's your job to keep your own score in a personal score book.

If, as a result of this first informational call, the buyer invites you to bid a job(s), you get 10 points.

If, as a result of this first informational call, the buyer invites you to come on over and introduce your company, or if they accept your invitation for a plant tour, then you get 20 points.

If you sell this prospect a job(s), you get 30 points. Thereafter, you accumulate 25 points for every job you sell to this new account. You are keeping score for yourself and someone should keep score for all the salespeople in your company.

Inevitably, there will be someone in your shop who won't participate. That, of course, will penalize your company and perhaps prevent it from winning in its category.

The categories, incidentally, are:

• Sales under $3 million for calendar year 2010;

• Sales ranging from $3 million to $10 million;

• Sales ranging from greater than $10 million to $25 million; and

• Sales greater than $25 million

You should start e-mailing me your results at hmdewese@aol.com. I will begin reporting your results in a series of Mañana Man video posts. If you or your company wishes anonymity, then I won't mention your name either during the videos, or in my columns or blogs. If you win, then of course, I hope you will wish to be identified.

Okay. We are going to work to rebuild some of the damage done by the damn recession, and you've got to get to work. If you have any questions, e-mail me.

I'm going to take a nap whilst you get your derrieres in motion, and get out there and sell something! PI

—Harris DeWese

About the Author
Harris DeWese is the author of "Now Get Out There and Sell Something" and "The Mañana Man, Books II and III," available at www.piworld.com/bookstore. He is chairman of Compass Capital Partners and also authors the annual "Compass Report." DeWese has completed more than 150 printing company transactions and is viewed as the industry's preeminent deal maker. He can be reached via e-mail at hmdewese@aol.com.