PUBLICATION CENTER

Sell More Printing! is a comprehensive new guide for selling four inter-related types of business printing, including signage and display graphics. Many of the ideas in the book are likely to be highlighted when the author David Fellman presents two sessions in the Business Management Track at the SGIA Conference, Oct. 7-9 in New Orleans.

To preview the type of practical advice that Fellman provides, SGIA recently hosted a free webinar during which Fellman discussed Strategic Sales Management. Fellman emphasized that all sales people need good management, including guidance on what types of printed products they should focus on selling, how they should do their jobs, and how to track and report progress with qualified prospects.

According to Fellman, the sales manager must do four things well:

• Hire the right people for their sales jobs;
• Train them effectively;
• Manage their actions and behaviors; and
• Hold them accountable for their performance.

He said some companies mistakenly rely on salespeople who never should have been hired in the first place. Fellman provided practical tips for: creating a profile of the type of candidate you would like to hire; using networking instead of advertising to attract people who fit the ideal-candidate profile; scoring resumes from applicants based on the profile; and thoroughly evaluating candidates before making an offer. Fellman believes the best people for sales jobs probably aren’t currently looking for new jobs. That’s why letting friends and colleagues know you have a good job available can be a better way to find good candidates than posting ads.

In the graphic arts field, he said sales people need four types of knowledge:

• Product Knowledge (technical knowledge about your products as well as application knowledge about how buyers use them);
• Market Knowledge (the competition and selling environment);
• Operational Knowledge (how to do their jobs at your company);
• Selling Strategy/Technique (how to turn prospects into customers).

What separates the great salespeople from the average ones in the graphics business, says Fellman, is how well the salesperson understands the specific applications of your printing and how and why the buyer plans to use them. (Note: This is where LexJet can really help! LexJet account representatives are happy to help your company keep salespeople up to speed on all types of materials as well as the most popular and innovative applications!)

In terms of training, Fellman also stresses the importance of establishing a culture of continuous learning. He said salespeople must understand that “They have responsibility to learn and that the learning is endless in our business.”

In the hour-long webinar, Fellman didn’t cover each topic in much detail. But he briefly discussed how to: turn volume standards (quotas) into action standards, track performance against these action standards, and develop compensation plans to motivate sales employees to achieve your company’s strategic objectives.

At the SGIA Conference, Fellman will present two 75-minute sessions on Wednesday, Oct. 7. In a morning session he will talk about How to Create an Effective Marketing Plan. In the afternoon, he will cover The Top 10 Mistakes Graphics & Sign Companies Make with Customers—and How to Avoid Them.

Fellman believes the top 10 mistakes are:

• Losing touch/losing trust.
• Unpleasant surprises.
• Unresolved problems.
• Operating on too narrow a bandwidth.
• Falling behind their technology.
• Mishandling money matters.
• Chasing jobs vs. building relationships.
• Competing on price.
• Too many eggs in too few baskets.
• Assuming anything.

For more information about David Fellman and the book Sell More Printing, visit his website: www.davidfellman.com.  For more information about the SGIA Conference, visit www.sgia.org

And for practical, business-building advice on the latest materials and creative applications for large-format graphics, contact your LexJet account representative at 800-453-9538.