Good sales people are hard to find
One of the most frequent requests from my readers is if I know of a good sales person looking for a job. And I am inundated with stories about companies that hired a sales rep with a supposedly good order book who didn’t work out.
However, in my experience, many of the best sales people are not necessarily from within the printing industry. Here are three ideas for recruiting sales people:
Hire relationship builders
One of the most successful print sales people I have heard of used to be a journalist. They were great at finding out more about a situation and that made them excellent at sales. They persuaded prospects to open up to them.
Hire school or college leavers
Young, enthusiastic people can be guided. They are often pleased to be given an opportunity to prove themselves, are quick learners and have the communication skills to relate to younger buyers.
Make your entire staff sales people
You may be surprised at the networks that some people have. The warehouse despatcher may well know someone who could be your ideal customer. Let your staff know that you are looking for new business. Tell them if you are looking for a certain type of customer. Better still, incentivize them!
Don’t sales people need to know about print?
Sales people who know too much about print can put buyers off. Someone who is too technical can often confuse a customer. They just want someone to run with their idea and make it work in the most effective way.
Where will your next sales person come from?
Maybe it is best to avoid the traditional sales rep who isn’t pulling in the business like they used to.
What if new sales people are unsure about what to say
“Done For You Sales Scripts” gives them a huge range of templates to work from
PS Test out how effective you are at print sales
Download my free e-book “Ten Common Print Selling Errors and What To Do About Them” right now at https://profitableprintrelationships.com/e-book/ You’ll also receive my regular “Views from the print buyer” bulletin, full of ideas on how to sell print effectively. It’s free and you can unsubscribe at any time.
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- Business Management - Marketing/Sales
Many printing companies are frustrated how hard it is to engage buyers in today’s world. That’s where Matthew Parker can help. He is a gamekeeper turned poacher. Parker has bought print for more than 20 years and received over 1,400 print sales pitches. He now uses his buyer’s point of view to give practical advice to printers. He helps them engage with prospects and customers to create profitable relationships.
Download his free e-book, "Ten Common Print Selling Errors And What To Do About Them" and check out his recently launched book, "How To Succeed At Print Sales: Setting targets, planning the right activities and making sure goals are met."