Want to Sell More Print? Think Like a Doctor!
March 2003

When people feel pain, they go to a doctor for a professional opinion and pain removal. The print sales process shouldn’t be much different. Print buyers have pain and it’s up to the print sales rep to figure out what and where the pain resides, and prescribe a plan to alleviate it. If they do this consistently and effectively, they’ll win more than print jobs; they’ll earn long term clients! Before grabbing for your virtual stethoscope, keep these tips in mind:

Ask, don’t tell – How would you feel about doctors that tell you they are the greatest thing since sliced bread (or offset printing)? You’d wonder what’s up. Instead, doctors walk into a room, ask probing questions and proceed with the exam. This unspoken confidence makes patients feel like they’ve placed their health in the hands of a qualified expert. Then, why do print sales reps in general spend so much time blabbering about themselves and their companies? Well, they shouldn’t.

Think of how your salespeople sell. Do they spend more than 10% of their face-to-face time showing samples, brochures and other materials about their company? If so, they’re hiding behind sales crutches and sending the message, “It’s all about me.” Needless to say, this is 180° in the wrong direction. It’s sales malpractice!

Admittedly, prospects rarely volunteer the source of their pain, much less suggest ways to relieve it. So, probing questions are needed to determine the fallout from blown schedules, poor quality and imprecise communication. Discover what happens to your prospect when bad things happen. When you learn about their pain and demonstrate a real understanding of it, you will earn a real shot at their business.

A prescription for overcoming price objections – Resistance to fair printing prices is an unfortunate business reality. But, people haven’t changed. Buyers still base purchasing decisions on emotion rather than dollars, no matter how competitive the marketplace is. Overcoming price objections and earning a small price premium are easier if salespeople sell with confidence and carry themselves with doctor-like authority. After all, your competition’s lower prices mean little if deadlines aren’t met, promises aren’t kept and print buyers lose their jobs.

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