In the competitive world of print sales, speed can be your advantage. We have been hearing this for years regarding speed to market through automation and optimization of processes. This post looks at speed from a human angle: speed to action.
If the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, what is the shortest distance from an inquiry to a print sale? How can you create the shortest distance – the fastest route – to a yes?
The Power of Being Faster
Delays are where opportunities die. Trust me; print businesses are losing jobs because they can’t get quotes from estimate requests to print customers fast enough.
How long is your estimation process from customer request to customer receipt?
Unless they have to triple-bid, most print customers will buy from the first quote they receive. If the project allows, they may buy ‘online’ after receiving and approving costs on screen and upload files before closing their browser tab.
Whether it’s delays getting costs, a consultation, or a callback, print customers are driving in the fast lane and will leave you and your print business in the dust if you can’t shift into high gear and keep up.
Combat Delays with the 24-Hour Rule
The 24-hour rule is a strategy focused on speed and execution. It emphasizes acting within 24 hours of identifying an opportunity, such as a customer conversation, estimate request, or internal idea for a promotion.
By reducing the time between thinking and acting, a print sales rep and the print business can gain a competitive edge by showing their clients and prospects they are proactive and efficient. This rule isn’t about rushing; it’s about prioritizing responsiveness to build trust, win the work, and stand out in a competitive market.
For print businesses, applying the 24-hour rule can transform how they handle customer interactions and estimate requests. Here are five strategies to implement for faster print sales:
1. Immediate Acknowledgment
Respond to all inquiries or requests within the same day, even if the final solution requires more time. A simple email or call to confirm receipt shows attentiveness and sets expectations for the next steps.
2. Prepare Templates
Create templates for common estimates, project timelines, and proposals. This enables all salespeople to quickly tailor responses without starting from scratch, speeding up customer delivery. Verify the costs in estimate templates are up to date and make it a priority to keep them up to date so no one is over or undercharging for work.
3. Prioritize Estimate Turnaround
How can you deliver estimates within 24 hours? Automation tools and software can streamline this process, but if you don’t have access to those, everyone must be on board with the 24-hour plan. It may be difficult to pull off, depending on how many estimators you have.
Try your best to create templates for everything that doesn’t require human intervention, follow strategy 1, and let your customers know when they will receive a quote. If you aren’t fast enough, you may lose the job, but the customer can trust you will respond, and that trust goes a long way to getting the next quote request.
4. Meaningful Follow-Ups
After a client conversation, document key takeaways and send a summary or action plan within 24 hours. This shows you understand their needs and keeps the conversation going. It can also be a trigger for correcting or adding information that is needed for the project or estimate request. Your team can move faster with accuracy.
5. Faster Team Collaboration
How is your team communicating? Is it the fastest way? Many companies have implemented a system for internal communication. Tools like Slack, Skype, and online meeting platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams can help everyone collaborate and make decisions quickly and efficiently.
Along those lines, look at streamlining your internal approval process if it’s complicated or too many people need to be involved in the outcome. That slows things down. Your company can set parameters for what can be approved by individuals, managers, and owners and what may require everyone in a room or a chat to resolve.
Tick Tock…
When turnaround times and client relationships are critical, the 24-hour rule can set your printing businesses apart. It reminds me of the anecdote about running away from a bear. You don’t have to be the fastest print business in the world to survive, you only need to be faster than your competition.
PRINT LONG AND PROSPER!
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See Deborah’s featured post: Top 5 Print Media Trends Every Marketer Should Know
Deborah Corn is the Intergalactic Ambassador to the Printerverse at Print Media Centr, a Print Buyerologist, international industry speaker and blogger, and the cultivator of Print Production Professionals, the #1 print group on LinkedIn. She provides printspiration and resources to print and marketing professionals through education, events, Podcasts From The Printerverse, ProjectPeacock.TV, and an array of community-lifting initiatives including Girls Who Print and International Print Day,
Deborah also helps companies create more meaningful and profitable customer relationships by utilizing 25+ years of experience as an agency, brand, and corporate print buyer who has assessed, hired, and worked with hundreds of printers and service providers.
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