These horrid conditions in the ’80s led me to think about the role of the “print salesperson” and what led to the broad lack of success for many and the soaring success of a few. It occurred to me that there are four types of salespeople.
The Mañana Man Online
Harris DeWese is the author of “Now Get Out There and Sell Something.” He is chairman/CEO at Compass Capital Partners and an author of the annual “Compass Report,” the definitive source of info regarding printing industry M&A activity. DeWese has completed 100-plus printing company transactions and is viewed as the preeminent deal maker in the industry. He specializes in investment banking, M&A, sales, marketing and management services to printers.
Ethos is your ability to cause buyers to believe you can satisfy their needs. Pathos refers to the salesperson capturing the emotions of the buyer. Logos depends on the salesperson’s ability to appeal to the buyer’s sense of reason.
The aim of a sales conversation is that both people win. The customer obtains a new supplier and the salesperson gets a new customer. Those early sales conversations form the framework for all future communication. The media are destroying the art of good conversation.
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I used to believe that you called on a prospect and provided a “presentation.” You began by telling about your employer and what the company could do. This put a huge onus on the salesperson to speak in an organized, interesting, entertaining, complete and persuasive monologue.
I was sitting out back on Saturday, the fated May 21. I began to think about previous doomsday predictions and how they had all failed. Then WHAMO! I had a much better idea. Why not create special, non-cataclysmic days for positive purposes?
These blogs on planning are boring. I’m bored writing them. I’ll bet you are bored reading them. Maybe the best way to demonstrate strategy is to write a detailed action plan for one of the strategies from the previous blog.
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