Keeping My Promise Hello Name Tag Sticker 3d Illustration
By Dave Fellman
Here’s a fundamental sales concept — the first thing you have to sell is yourself. OK, that’s obviously true, but what exactly does it mean? And how far does it take you toward the ultimate goal of printing sales success?
To sell yourself effectively, you really have to sell me on two interrelated elements. The first is that you know what you’re talking about. The second is that you’ll do what you say you will do. If I decide that I can believe both of those things, I’ll probably think seriously about buying from you. If I don’t believe either one, though, I probably won’t.
Think of it this way. You sell a custom-manufactured product. It doesn’t exist until I place an order and you produce it — and there’s a lot that can go wrong between the order and the delivery! If I’m not convinced that you know what you’re talking about, I can’t be sure that you know enough to prevent any of those things from going wrong. And if I’m not convinced that you will do what you say you will do, I can’t be sure that buying from you won’t turn into a painful experience.
Please understand this, it’s not a matter of whether I like you. That is a part of most people’s decision-making process, of course, but it’s not the most important part. The real issue is whether I trust you, to keep all of the promises you make in the selling process. And I’d like you to give some thought to just how many promises you make. You’ll be happy with the quality. You’ll be happy with the service. We’ll deliver on time. I work with a great team, and we’re all committed to your complete satisfaction!
Selling is largely about making promises, especially selling a custom-manufactured product, and customer satisfaction is mostly about keeping all of those promises.
Now, while it’s true that you have to sell yourself, it’s also true that you have to sell your company. But that’s the wrong way to phrase it! Rather than talking about your company, I strongly suggest that you talk about your team — as in, I work with a great team, and we’re all committed to your complete satisfaction!
What’s the difference in the terminology? It’s been my experience that when salespeople talk about their company, they usually talk about equipment and capabilities. But does it really make any difference to a buyer whether a job runs on an iGen or an Indigo? When you talk about your team, you can talk about people and processes, and that’s really where differentiation lives.
Don’t just tell me about your state-of-the-art printing machines, tell me about the people who run them. And then tell me about your quality control and customer service processes. Sell me on who you are and how you do things — as an individual and as a team. That’s a winning strategy!
Dave Fellman is the president of David Fellman & Associates, Cary, NC, a sales and marketing consulting firm serving numerous segments of the graphic arts industry. Contact Dave by phone at 919-363-4068 or by e-mail at dmf@davefellman.com. Visit his website at www.davefellman.com.