Good morning!
When is the last time you or your company held some kind of an educational event, such as an open house? Salespeople spend so much time trying to set up appointments with prospects and get on other people’s calendars that I think we have forgotten the value of teaching the finer points of our industry.
Years ago, I ran the youth group in my church. One of the kids who participated is now a graphic designer and does the packaging work for Dunkin’ Donuts. When I interviewed him, he made an interesting point: “I have no training budget for my staff. So, when a salesperson calls and asks for a sitdown, I rarely say yes. However, if someone calls with an offer to train me on new technology perhaps new paper options, I jumped at the chance.”
This might sound simple and perhaps even obvious, but the word, “print” means different things to different people. For some, it’s running down to Staples to get some copies. To others, it’s full-color. But as anyone in the industry knows, this is not your grandfather’s business anymore. Print is varied and dynamic. (Mostly) Gone are the greasy shops, poorly lit and smelly, where noisy machines crank out page after page. Today, you’re much more likely to find a large and, dare I say, cool-looking digital device whose limit is only the imagination.
Do your customers and prospects know this?
Why not give your paper vendor a call and find out if they’d be interested in holding an event either at your facility or, if the prospect is large enough, on-site with a client? An educated prospect can be a great customer.
