What Was That?

Credit: Jean Hull

Are you distracted? Do you find it easy to get pulled in one direction or another? Do things outside of your core mission interrupt your focus?

The driver of this Landcruiser was distracted. He didn’t see the big cat until it was on the hood of his car. He (the driver) jumped into the backseat with his passengers when he saw it looking at him eyeball to eyeball.

That wasn’t the end. The Cheetah jumped off one cruiser and onto the other. It walked across the car and peeked through the open roof. The photographers inside were distracted…except one. She managed to stay focused and take both photos. The opportunity was seized not lost.

So let me repeat. Are you distracted?

The printing industry can be full of distractions. If you’re in sales all manner of things compete for your attention. There are competitors, emerging technologies, production problems, price concerns, service issues not to mention hitting numbers and earning a living.

What’s a rep to do?

Here's my professional viewpoint. Dump the junk and focus on your customer. Become the CEO of the relationship. Be the expert on what they want and flush everything else. Everything you’re focused on will take care of itself if you do.

As my followers know, I talk to reps every week. I hear their sales problems. We brainstorm ideas and suggest next steps in whatever the struggle happens to be. I can feel the conversation go cold, however, when I suggest they need to narrow their focus.

I’m astonished at how many are hung up in the weeds. Distractions impede their progress. Too many are in the plant monitoring every step of production. They’re electing to be project managers rather than sales professionals. They are in their own way and they’re costing themselves money.

Here is a simple gut check. Time you spend thinking about clients, how they do business and how to be more valuable is accretive. This is a wise investment.

Time you spend in the plant, no matter how much you enjoy or justify it, is wasted. It’s dilutive. You’re spending your sales hours (money) on the wrong thing.

Tell your support staff what you need. Enter your work the way your client wants. Demand what you know is correct, and go see the next customer. Your plant will perform and you’ll sell more stuff.

Don’t be distracted by the competition either. You can’t do anything about them so perform. Be better than them. Be the reason your client hires your company.

Let me offer some perspective. Your client probably can’t tell you much about your competitor. If you get beyond the rep and provided services, what do they know? I’d be surprised if they could describe the plant or any of the equipment. That makes you, the rep, the main thing.

Years ago, I had the pleasure of hearing Jack Nicklaus speak. He was asked who he hated playing against most.

His answer was HIMSELF. He went on to say he could beat anyone if he didn’t let them get into his head. He continued, “controlling my own thoughts and focus is the key to winning.”

It’s the same for you. Dump the production stuff and quit thinking about competition. Get intimate with your client objectives and how your industry can solve their problems. You’ll sell more if you do.

For those that want magic sales tips…they’re ain’t none. There is no magic formula. Selling is common sense and listening to clients.

SELLING IS SIMPLE!