Printers and sales reps often avoid asking their print customers an important question: “Who else are you printing with?” In my work with print sales teams, sometimes reps are surprised we can ask. We can, and we should.
IT’S BETTER TO ASK THAN TO GUESS
For printers, the best source of new business is from current print customers. Even if we think we’re the only provider – or we know who the other printers are – we need the most current information, straight from the horse’s mouth. This is how you control opportunities.
RISE ABOVE EMBARRASSMENT
I can relate because I’ve been in the sales trenches. We hate to ask because – well – awkward! However, successful print sales professionals make it their business to find out which providers the customer is using. We have to ask – but in the right way.
How do we do it? Do we blurt it out without warning or context? Do we wait until we finish the conversation and then say, “Oh, I almost forgot. One more thing.”
No, of course not. We schedule a meeting with them and make it about them, not us.
SETTING THE STAGE WITH PRINT CUSTOMERS
Schedule and confirm the meeting time. Send over an agenda ahead of time. Establish that we care about them and want to understand ALL their print needs. Listen carefully and take notes. Clarify where needed. Thank them for their time. End on a positive note. Follow up and keep all promises.
BE PREPARED FOR PARTIAL INFORMATION
Realistically, during this meeting, print customers or the buying team may not know all the answers or want to share them.
If the buyer doesn’t know who else buys print in their organization or which printers are also in the mix, then we’ll have to build deeper relationships.
EARN TRUST
Why don’t print buyers freely share this information with their printers? In my view, it’s because they think we don’t deserve to know. They think we will drain their time or pester them. They like to partition providers and keep their options open.
Furthermore, print buyers will shield their coworkers from salespeople. They’ll protect purchasing agents, procurement specialists, and other buyers in their organization.
They prefer to keep print providers at arm’s length until they’re needed. In their experience, that’s how it works best. That’s why we must earn their trust.
BE CLEAR ON THE BENEFITS
Our goal is to partner with print customers. We can’t appear to be asking out of selfishness or greed – just to get a sale. Present it as a win-win scenario.
KEEP IT CONVERSATIONAL
Can’t we just use a survey or telemarketer to get the info? Sure, we can do that.
A back-and-forth conversation with print customers is more fruitful, though. It allows us to answer questions about our current and future offerings. We can find out why they chose a certain provider. We can learn how long they’ve been printing with a competitor. We can ask whether they post on bid sites, sign single-source agreements, use brokers, and all sorts of things.
It’s not just gathering data – it’s an interaction that blossoms from the personal touch.
BE PROFESSIONAL
Relying on guesswork or old information won’t help us win new jobs or serve our print customers better. Yes, it can be uncomfortable to ask who the other printers are. Just be sure to handle it professionally and make it about the customer.
The more we practice, the better we get. Start with the nicest customers and work from there. Let me know if I can help.
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Check out last month’s post: Boost Your Confidence and Print Sales Through Internal Events
Sandy Hubbard is a Marketing Strategist and Advisor who specializes in Print, Media, and B2B Tech. She helps print companies improve so they stand above the crowd. Sandy is host of #PrintChat, a weekly global gathering of the industry’s most influential thinkers and leaders. A proud member of Girls Who Print, Sandy is the 2022 recipient of the coveted Girlie Award. Connect with Sandy on LinkedIn.
