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Sales Resources
On-Demand Courses
Selling to Hospitals: Big Fish Sales in a High-Rules Environment
Hospitals buy a ton of print, signage, and promo—yet they can be notoriously hard to break into because decisions run through committees, compliance, vendor approval, and long budget cycles. This course teaches you how to research healthcare trends, identify revenue-driving opportunities, find the right stakeholders, and frame your offering in the language hospitals care about: safety, outcomes, efficiency, and patient experience.
Selling to Banks: Cracking the Code of Financial Institution Sales
Banks and credit unions buy plenty of print, signage, and promo—but profitable work comes from understanding how they make money, what’s changing in the industry, and what priorities your target institution is pushing right now. This course shows you how to build value-driven pitches, research like a pro, and walk into the conversation sounding like a partner—not another vendor begging to be put on the bid list.
Selling to Colleges: Win the Big Fish Without Becoming Bait
Colleges and universities are a massive, price-sensitive market with scattered buying circles—which means real opportunity… and real complexity. In this 6-lesson course, Bill breaks down what colleges buy, why they buy it, and who’s doing the buying, then shows you how to sell beyond “submit a bid” by tying print, signage, and promo to what schools are trying to accomplish right now.
Sustainable Productivity
Busy isn’t the same as productive. This course gives experienced reps a simple, repeatable system to plan their week, protect their best sales activities, and end every day with tomorrow ready to go. Learn how to stack appointments, manage opportunities, and sell more in less time—without burning out.
Landing the Big Fish
Big accounts don’t get “won.” They get pursued, mapped, and earned—over time, with patience, creativity, and a strategy that goes way beyond “just checking in.” This course gives you the mindset, structure, and contact tactics to break into large organizations, stay relevant during long sales cycles, and build a repeatable Big Fish pipeline.
Taming the Nuisance Customer
Learn how to identify, manage, and—when necessary—fire time-sucking, profit-draining clients. Learn practical strategies for dealing with bullies, slow payers, price-checkers, and chronic complainers so you can protect your time, your team, and your best customers.
Getting to YOUR Next Level
Explore this practical, no-drama framework to figure out where you are, where you want to go, and exactly what has to change in your mindset, skills, and activity to get there. This isn’t motivational fluff. It’s a working blueprint you’ll use to evaluate, review, plan, and execute your way to real growth.
A Sustainable Productivity Plan for New Sales Reps
Build consistency and focus with a repeatable productivity system for sales reps. Learn how to plan smarter, execute better, and stay on track — every day, every week.
Objection Mastery: Turning Resistance into Revenue
Master the art of handling objections. Learn to recognize, reframe, and respond to resistance with strategies that convert hesitation into opportunity.
Effective Sales Presentations
Turn your next meeting into a masterclass in preparation, presentation, and persuasion. In this course, Bill Farquharson walks you through every step of an effective sales presentation — from preparation to delivery to securing the next meeting. You’ll learn how to research your client, structure your message, and communicate with clarity and confidence.
Making Contact with Decision Makers
This course is about mastering one of the hardest parts of selling: gaining access to the person with the power to say “yes.” You’ll learn why diligence beats talent, how to craft powerful conversations, and how to reset your mindset so you stop feeling like a pest and start acting like a trusted advisor.
Marketing is the New Sales
Marketing is the New Sales helps you stand out in a crowded market, generate steady leads, and strengthen client relationships. By the end, you’ll have practical strategies to drive growth and keep your pipeline full—without relying on old-school sales tactics.
Lead Generation for Legacy Sales Reps: Sharpening Your Edge
Sharpen your edge and win better business. This advanced course helps seasoned sales reps refine their Ideal Customer Criteria, apply smarter prospecting strategies, and leverage AI to save time and uncover high-value opportunities. Stop chasing volume and start focusing on the clients who deliver the most profit and loyalty.
Lead Generation for New Sales Reps: Build Your Funnel, Build Your Future
Build your funnel, build your future. This course gives new sales reps the confidence and tools to find their first great customers. Learn how to combine traditional prospecting methods with modern AI strategies so you can keep your pipeline full and your sales career growing strong.
Pre-Call Research
Learn how to uncover what matters most to your prospects before you ever pick up the phone. This course teaches you to research smarter, find the right decision-makers, and transform generic sales calls into meaningful, solution-focused conversations.
The Prospecting Playbook
Turn cold calls into opportunities with a proven prospecting system. This course shows you how to build a pipeline, stay organized, and consistently generate new business.
Diligence
Build consistency, stay motivated, and outwork your competition with Bill Farquharson’s 6-part video course on the sales skill that beats talent every time. Perfect for print, promo, packaging, labels, and signage professionals who want lasting success.
New to Sales in the Graphic Arts?
Build confidence, avoid costly mistakes, and hit the ground running with Bill Farquharson’s 8-part video course for sales newcomers in print, promo, packaging, labels, and signage.
Time Management for Salespeople in the Graphic Arts: Do More, Stress Less, Sell Smarter
Master your day, reduce stress, and sell smarter: This course teaches salespeople in the graphic arts how to prioritize, plan, and build time habits that actually stick.
Workshop Replays
Recap & Replay: How to Sell Without Selling: Education-Based Marketing for Warmer Leads
People hate being sold to—but they love learning. In this Sales Vault replay, discover how to shift from pitching to educating, position yourself as the expert, and turn simple teaching content into warmer leads.
Recap & Replay: Selling Value When the Customer Just Wants Price
Customers who only want price will treat you like a quote machine. This replay shows you how to shift the conversation to value with better questions, smarter options, and stronger positioning—so you can win the work at your price.
Recap & Replay: Stop Quoting & Start Selling
Stop sending quotes into the void. In this workshop, Bill shares how to qualify the job and the customer, ask smarter questions, and use speed, communication, and better options to turn quotes into conversations (and revenue).
Recap & Replay: Breaking Out of a Sales Slump
Lost your selling spark? This workshop replay delivers practical, confidence-building strategies to reset your mindset, take controllable actions, and sell your way out of a slump—starting today.
Recap & Replay: Creating a Prospecting Process You’ll Actually Stick To
Struggling to stay consistent with prospecting? This workshop replay shows you how to build a simple, repeatable outreach process—using scheduling, accountability, reflection, and easy “starter” actions that keep momentum going.
Recap & Replay: Just Checking In Isn’t a Follow-Up Strategy
Prospects aren’t ignoring you because you’re bad at sales—they’re ignoring you because your follow-up sounds like everyone else’s. Learn how to add value, use smarter touchpoints, and stay “pleasantly assertive” without sounding desperate.
Recap & Replay: From Paralyzed to Productive
In this interactive Sales Vault workshop, real sellers open up about distraction, overload, and chaotic workdays—and learn how to protect their time, plan smarter, and get important sales work done.
Recap & Replay: Objection Handling Mastery
This fast-moving session drills the objections you hear most—price, lead time, “we already have a vendor,” “I buy online,” and “call me after the holidays.” You’ll get the discovery questions, sample phrasing, and timing plays to reframe pushback without discounting by default—plus a year-end budget tactic that can land orders now.
Recap & Replay: The Courage to Call: Overcoming Call Reluctance and Sales Anxiety
Motivation comes and goes. Discipline is hard. In this replay, Bill walks you through real-world ways to reset your mindset, plan around your energy, and pull yourself out of a sales slump. Perfect for the days when you’re staring at the phone and not feeling it.
Recap & Replay: Motivation, Momentum & the Midweek Slump – Sales Mindset Replay
Motivation comes and goes. Discipline is hard. In this replay, Bill walks you through real-world ways to reset your mindset, plan around your energy, and pull yourself out of a sales slump. Perfect for the days when you’re staring at the phone and not feeling it.
Short Attention Span Sales Tips
Your Sales Face is Your Sales Force
Want to know why no one is returning your emails? Or why your voicemails fall into the abyss? Bill Farquharson knows and he tells all in this week’s Short Attention Span Sales Tip.
The Upside of Sales Chaos
The next time you are working at a 100mph pace, remember the words from this week’s Short Attention Span Sales Tip: This is a good thing! Keep it up!
New Rep Sales Guarantee
There are few guarantees in life (other than death and taxes), but in this first Short Attention Span Sales Tip of 2026, Bill Farquharson offers new sales people an iron clad guarantee for success.
Useful Marketing
The computer cursor blinks on and off as you struggle to find something to post on LinkedIn. But after this week’s Short Attention Span Sales Tip, the words will flow!
How to Grab a Prospect’s Attention
What do the first ten seconds of this week’s Short Attention Span Sales Tip have in common with the first 10 seconds of your voicemail? Answer: One word.
100 Sales Calls in a Week
Any idiot who says “You must make 100 sales calls a day” has never made 100 sales calls a day. In this week’s Short Attention Span Sales Tip, Bill Farquharson shows you how to make 100 sales calls a week. Combine this info with his ideas for making quality sales calls and now you really have something!
Sales Productivity
Why does Bill Farquharson dedicate so many Short Attention Span Sales Tips to the subject of productivity? Because selling more in less time is a shared goal…or at least it should be.
Overcome the Price Objection
While researching a new Sales Vault training course, Bill Farquharson came across a new way to overcome the price objection and shares it in this week’s Short Attention Span Sales Tip.
Prospecting? Do This, Not That
What’s the key to a good voicemail message? In this week’s Short Attention Span Sales Tip, Bill Farquharson says something relevant about being relevant.
Ruthless Time Management
While most sales reps are busy, the best of the best are productive. In this week’s Short Attention Span Sales Tip, Bill Farquharson shows you how.
Short Attention Span Sales Blog
The Learning Hour
What if you took an hour a week to get better? By the time you read this week’s blog by Bill Farquharson, he will have done just that for half of January. Find out what he is up to and then come back next month to hear the results.
Stop Lobbing My Groceries
Two recent interactions with entry-level workers serve as the source for Bill Farquharson’s blog this week. Do you remember your first/worst job? You will after this quick read.
When a Client Meeting Makes a Statement
As you read these words, Bill Farquharson is headed to a client meeting so important, he is taking the unnecessary step of flying 6 hours in one day when he could have clicked a Zoom link instead. The difference? One makes a statement reserved for Big Fish. Read more in Bill’s blog.
My “Best of” 2025 Memories
While 2025 was a deeply flawed year for the world, Bill Farquharson still has some good thoughts to share in this, his final blog of the year. Here are Bill’s “bests” from a year that seemed a lot longer.
Unhappy Customer? Make it Free!
In Bill Farquharson’s blog this week you’ll hear a message you need to hear every day. In fact, that’s the point (1 min read).
The One Trait That Matters Most Right Now
In Bill Farquharson’s blog this week you’ll hear a message you need to hear every day. In fact, that’s the point (1 min read).
Mindset Is the Message
A client can hear every emotion you are having, so in this week’s blog you’ll find out the most important ones to have (1
What Was Once Optional
It takes more than ever to earn an appointment with a decision-maker. Learn the new “musts” in Bill Farquharson’s blog this week (1 min read).
Good Rep vs. Great Rep – Which One Are You?
Watching a tennis tournament, there’s amazing play in the early rounds and then the top ten show up and take the game to a whole new level. Reach your top level by taking the advice in this week’s blog (1 min read).
Confidence: The Sales Skill That Sells
Ever looked at someone and thought, “That one is special”? What you might be seeing is a wearable trait that can grow your sales. Find out more in Bill Farquharson’s blog.
Downloadable Tools & Templates
What to Say When Calling a “Dead” Account
Someone at your company had a bright idea: Let’s call on accounts we haven’t heard from in a while. Maybe they need something. Maybe they’ve forgotten about us. You agree… That is a great idea…
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Sales Emails That Get Responses
For better or worse, email is a primary form of communication. While it is a time saver for the sender and the recipient, the sheer volume means your email is just another face in the crowd; that is unless you do something to make it stand out.
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The LinkedIn Invite: What to Write Download
You want to connect with someone on LinkedIn but they do not know you and, quite honestly, have no reason to accept your invitation.
Before the connection request is sent, LinkedIn suggests you include a message.
What do you write?
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Questions to Ask: Download
This Sales Vault Insider exclusive download outlines specific questions you might want to use to engage in a solution based conversation with the client.
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The Expert Sales Week Planning Guide
An efficient sales week is no accident. The biggest mistake sales people make—by far—is the lack of planning ahead. And yet just a little preparation before end-of-day Friday to look at your calendar and think through a plan for next week goes a long way. Ask yourself: What worked this week, what didn’t work? Are […]
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Better than a Sales Script: Download
You: “Hey, Bill. Can you post a sales script for us to use? Me: “Well, yes…and no. I will post something that will help but it won’t be a script.” I often get asked, “Do you have a sales script I can use?” The question makes my skin crawl. There is no one-size-fits-all group of […]
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Download 6 Prospecting Letter Templates
Here are some prospecting Letters to emulate or flat-out steal from, courtesy of The Sales Vault and yours truly. A good business letter has three components: • In the first paragraph, say what you are going to say.• In the second paragraph, say it.• In the third paragraph, say what you said. Oh, and one […]
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The Best (and funniest) Prospecting Letter Ever!
What would you want out of a good prospecting letter? An appointment, perhaps, but can you really expect to get that from just one single letter? Download Letter [pdf] An Insider Exclusive! Steve Block did it with this letter I’m about to talk about… Steve was one-of-a-kind. A Business Development Manager (think: Inside Sales and […]
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Learn by Sales Challenge
Tips for Presentations and Sales Calls
Presentations are hard. And so are sales calls. As a public speaker by trade and inspired by many so-so speakers and their less than engaging performances, Bill has compiled a list of what it takes to deliver a good presentation. The same rules apply when it comes to making a good sales call.
Managing the Sales Process: From Getting Organized to Keeping Track
One of Bill’s mantras as a sales trainer is to never leave today without having tomorrow planned. You get to leave for home and leave work behind. Tomorrow is all planned. Go be present to your family. In the morning, you will walk in the door and already have your day planned out. Here are a few strategies to get organized.
Getting to the Next Level
You get to a plateau and you stay there, seemingly unable to break through to the next level. You want to end up with a plan but in order to get there, you are going to need to evaluate several aspects of your business. Bill has outlined a few tips and actionable resources in the form of Sales Vault content that will help you see a path to the next level.
Too Busy to Sell: “My Hair Is On Fire Daily”
This is a classic example of someone who’s not in charge of their own calendar. Everything seems urgent. The day is already already out of control, and it hasn’t even started yet. These tips and resources Bill has outline will help you lay some ground rules to regain control and bring the raging fire down to embers.
Selling when you’re an introvert…
The goal is not to change your personality. With a new mindset and a few strategies, you can become more comfortable in the sales role. Bill has selected some specific Sales Vault resources to help break down some sales barriers.
When you’ve never had to sell before but now you need to grow your business
When business stops growing organically, and event starts to recede, there is a way out. It’s time to start selling. Here you’ll find Sales Vault resources to get you focused on the fundamentals to recharge your sales engine.
Hiring the “right” sales rep and nurturing success
One of the big mistakes people make in hiring is they think this is a short term task. Not only is it ongoing, it doesn’t stop when you hire someone. You need to stay engaged in the onboarding, training, and early activities of a sales rep despite your other job duties.
Preparing to add a new sales rep
Do you need one? Absolutely! The only way to avoid hiring a sales rep is if you, the owner, are the sales rep and in that role 100%. Otherwise, your growth has a ceiling. But there are ways to set yourself (and them) up for success or failure. Here’s what Bill has to say on the topic and Sales Vault resources to consult for a deeper dive.
I hate selling….but I need to grow
Yeah. This is a tough one. Whether its laziness or procrastination or fear or something else, if you are not actively selling, you will—at best—maintain your existing sales level and—at worst—see a slow decline. Use these resources to inspire that desired growth.
Limiting the chaos when you’re crazy busy
“Crazy busy” is a temporary problem. If for some reason this feeling doesn’t go away, chances are you are suffering from some bad time management. In this post, Bill has outlined specific Sales Vault resources (Workshop Replays, Video Courses, Sales Tips & Blogs) to help you get from chaos to control.
Whitepapers
Articles
Sales Challenges: When You Don’t Feel Like Selling
I hear it more than you’d think: “I can’t sell. I don’t want to sell. I hate sales …” followed by the inevitable kicker. “… but I need to grow my sales. What do I do?” So, just so I understand this: You need to grow your business. You need more sales. However, you don’t […]
Sales Challenges: Do This Before Lowering Your Price
Pop quiz: What would you do in this situation? An existing account is challenging a repeat order. For years, this has been a no-bid customer whose annual sales volume is steady and above-average profitability (read: they’re not being gouged). Strong relationships. A Norm-enters-Cheers greeting every time you are there. You know the type. But one […]
Five Sales Actions Printers Should Take Before 2024
Click your heels together, say “Keifer Sutherland” three times, and poof, just like that 2024 is upon us (see what I did there?). Soon, you will be reading about, making, and quickly breaking New Year’s Resolutions — all intended to drive sales and, especially, new business. But before you go through that disappointing promise-and-fail cycle […]
Sales Challenges: How to Become ‘Vendor of the Year’
All print sales reps should strive to be their clients’ Vendor of the Year, and Bill Farquharson has the steps to help you get there.
Sales Challenges: How to Become Vendor of the Year
I have a secret to share. It’s something I have never told anyone, and I thought hard before confessing it in Printing Impressions. I mean, if I tell you and it happens, does that mean it wouldn’t have had I kept my mouth shut? Or, maybe I’m jinxing myself. But, in the end, only because it’s […]
Sales Challenges: How to Make Prospecting Easier
Every other Thursday, I take guitar lessons. In between, I am assigned homework: Play the pentatonic scales. Learn the fretboard. Do some soloing. I know what to do and I know it will help. And yet, I struggle to find/make the time. It just seems like a big and daunting task: Find a quiet place […]
Do the Majority of Printing Industry Salespeople Have ADD? If So, It May Prove to Be an Advantage
After 30-plus years as a sales coach, it is my educated guess that 50% of all salespeople in the graphic arts have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Of those, I would further estimate that 90% have never had it formally diagnosed. What’s going on inside their head is their “normal,” and why would you ever question […]
Tips on Managing the Stressors of Up and Down Periods Typically Found With Printing Sales
We’ve all heard this before: Sell hard in the first quarter and you will have a good second quarter. The three most important selling months of the year are September, October, and November. What you do (or don’t do) in this time period will determine how your 2023 ends and how your 2024 begins. Want […]
Sales Challenges: Getting to Your Next Sales Level
When the 2022 golf season kicked off, my handicap was 23.8. For those of you who aren’t smart enough to know better than to throw untold amounts of time, money, and energy at this frustratingly wonderful sport, that’s not great. My goal was to end the year at a number that rhymes with “green” (as […]
Sales Challenges: The Four-Step Prospecting Plan
Nine out of 10 people reading this column do not follow a prospecting process. Ninety percent of you follow no formal step-by-step, week-by-week system of customer contact. Imagine if advertisers thought like you did. Companies like Coca-Cola, BMW, and Geico would buy print or airtime only when business slumped for a month. Even Verizon would […]
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